Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1862-01-09

{ 'General! you have just missed rare
dish of scandal. Mrs. Leeds was done to a
turn am sorry you missed it."
No need for sorrow, my dear young
lady, as was sitting out on the verandah,
enjoying my cigar, heard it all. l sup
pose l should have moved; but I was too
lazy, and you were talking SO loud l did not
suppose it was a secret"
Clara Wilbur 'wilted" down consider
ably--for it was her custom to 'do" the
soft and gentle before the General
"What do you think of Mrs. Leeds %
said gentle Maud Miller.
"Well, Miss Maud, I think she is beau
tiful, graceful, and perfect lady. If she
were widow tomorrow would try to
win her."
AS he finished speaking two persons came
pacing slowly down the broad hall The
woman was slight and graceful, with dark
hair and eyes. She wore a robe of black
velvet-her only ornaments being a coral
brooch, clasping collar of rich lace around
her white throat, and the coral comb that
confined her jetty curls. The gentleman
was tall and aristocratic," with ''fair hair
and blue eyes''-being, doubtless, the iden-
teal man that Jane had seen enter Mrs
Leeds room the night before. Whilst they
watched the graceful movements of the two
the gong sounded, and the entire company
passed into the brilliantly lighted dining
room. 1t so chanced that. General Lanes
rooms adjoined those of Mrs Leeds He
had only returned to the city fortnight
before, after an absence of seven weeks
during which time the stranger-Mrs.
Leeds-had come among them. Immedi-
ately after dinner he had retired to his own
room, much to the discontinue of the ladies.
AS he sat reading in his own room-Mrs
Leeds and the world forgotten-he heard a
knock at the lady's door, and, as it was
opened, heard woman's voice exclaim:
"Oh dear Charlie, is it you! Come ip
you look tired and worn out Come and
lie down on my comfortable lounge and rest,
while we have real good old-fashioned
talk"
The General was surprised to find how
plain he could hear, till he remembered the
door between the rooms.
"How long can you stay, Charlie %
"Only till ten, Carrie. ] have an en-
Y.
But Carrie, ..ee llaelz@s.iSaa arseaazs-z ard
out What is wrong, my pet?"
Nothing, Charlie; you only fancy so" :"
You cannot deceive me, Carrie-you
are changed. Something is missing from
your eyes; and the rare old gladness of spirit,
that was my pride, is gone now'
Then. ere she could reply, he added
"Where IS Harry to-nightY'
The clear voice was unfaltering that re-
piled.
''He has business out night"
''He was out last night, when came, at
one o'clock. Is it his custom to leave you
thus alone at night. Carrie %
"Oh no, indeed! 1tjust happened 50"
''Coma into the inner roon dear, have
much to say to you, it is now home like"
Their voices only reached the Generals
ar. now, in a kind of subdued murmuring
Yet he could not read. TIE spell seemed
broken. For an hour he alternately paced
the floor and tried to read He was just
about retiring, when voices from the next
room reached him again.
$50 you must 60. Charlie ? I dislike to
have you go, but [ must not be selfish"
And | dislike to leave you, sister mine;
but it must be. Tomorrow I will spend
with you-day and evening, too. Look in
yonder mirror, Carrie-see what tiny
thing you are! Who would inag CINE we
were children OF the same parents? You,
with your dark hair aud eyes, and mine
both bright. It is too bad should have
had the dark hair.and eyes, Carrie"
Eyes, Charlie, but, then. you know Vie
Canterbury says fair hair and eyes are so
aristocratic,' said Carrie, archly.
$50 she does. I had forgotten that
But good night. my precious sister You
grow more like your mother every day,
Carrie -
His sister! Oh, I am so glad" And
the noble warrior felt almost like falling
upon his knees and thanking God for the
woman's purity He had not doubted it :;
but the curse of scandal is that in spite of
ones better nature-when one hears so
much something of distrust will cling to
the heart.
Soon, there came a knock at the Gener-
ais own door-a summons for him to go to
the apartments of brother officer on bust
ness, whose rooms were situated in another
part of the house
AS be was returning. at twelve o'clock,
he saw small, slight figure coming up the
hall from an opposite direction. As he
came nearer, he saw that it was Mrs. Leeds.
She still wore the rich dress she had worn at
dinner. A supurb crimson shawl of Canton
Grape was flung over her head, almost COW
ering the blue-black curls, and tightly
clasped under the chin by two small, white
hands, But the white, despairing face,
that rose from out that crimson draperv
would haunt one lifetime
AS she passed the General, she drew her
shawl over her face, as though to conceal
it; and he. CALAMITY. fixed his eyes upon the
floor. as though in brown study. He
reached his rooms too excited to sleep
Something was agog what was it? TAX
ing down his well-worn Bible, this '.hero
of hundred battles read, as was his night
.ly custom. It might have been ten mr. nor