Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1866-05-18
THE COQUETTE.
BY MARY C. VAUGHAN.

I16 SGOOU apart dS Ouo WIN !" 40 Oi' Ou'
not with, the gathered throng. There was
no light of pleasure in his eye as beautiful
women passed him, and bent with marked
Difference to his bow; none of intelligence
as senators and statesmen, his compatriots,
approached. He scarcely seemed to heed
them. His thoughts were but on one, his
eyes sought but one form and face in all
the brilliant crowd,
This great man, upon whose lips hung a
nations suspense, and upon the working OF
whose astute brain hung nations des-
tiny, had become the bond slave and thrall
of woman. One smile from her was
worth more, far more than all the fame
and honors that his ambition and peoples
grateful reverence had secured him. He
lived upon the words that dropped in slow
music from her lips, and the lightest touch
of her hand upon his in the passing cour-
tesies of society, thrilled like fire through
his veins, and was to him like an actual
vivid presence till hours and days had pas
sed. Now he was watching her from afar,
with all his soul in his eyes that sought
her only.
Chances of pity, of surprise and contempt
were bent upon him. He would have
chafed under such unaccustomed notice
had he been conscious of it. He was OF
too proud and self-controlled nature to
endure pity, and contempt had never been
for him, with his master mind and indom-
table will. But he forgot the crowd and
the possibility of observation, his thoughts
fixed only on her.
As she-no token, no furtive glance,
nor huttering blush on her fair cheek be-
trayed her knowledge of this distant, ST.
lent worship. If she avoided him, the
evasion had all the effect of uncontrolled
accident A quiet, lady-lke unconcern
was all that was visible.
Marion Lisle bore the reputation of a
finished coquette. How she had gained
it, save from her scorned and Tilted admi-
rers, it was difficult to conceive. Her man.
ners were quiet, almost shy. There was
no display in dress, nor of personal charms,
very little conversation, no brilliancy.--
Some even called her plain, and in truth
her beauty lay rather in the nameless
charm of expression, and the hssom grace
of perfect figure than in aught which
technically deserves the name. And yet
around her were always gathered the brill.
liant and the best of all men who graced
society. And, if she numbered her ad-
mirers by hundreds, scarcely less in num-
Der were they who, from the heights of a
pleased conscience that they had merited
and received her approval, suddenly found
themselves precipitated into the valley OF
abasement, and saw the eye that had light
ed at their approach turned coldly, almost
unconsciously, from the sight of their ag-
onies.
And thus it was that Marion Lisle had
gained the title of coquette. Her last VIC
tim had been the great statesman who De
lilah-like, she had shorn Of his strength
She had seemed to awaken from her or
| dinary languid calm when he approached
her; had fattered him by an unusual show
of attention to his conversation; hadvouch
safed him more smiles and words than fell
to the lot of any other; and, justly, he felt
himself distinguished.
He had been deeply impressed by the
high-bred grace of her manner, and the
distinction with which she had treated
him had awakened thoughts of one like
her presiding over his household or seated
at the head of his table. By an easy tran
sition the attraction the attachment became
warm and personal, till at last he loved
with all the force of powerful and self
contained nature, which had ear ly wrench
ed itself away from the affections of life
to concentrate all strength and energy upor
its ambitions.
Seeing this, believing that with such 1
man to love once is to love forever, Marion
Lisle had led him on by such undisguisec
encouragement and approval, that MAJ
less vain land there were few such) mus
have taken heart, and rested with undoubt
ing faith in the belief that he had but t.
sneak to have his hearts desire answered
And then, when she saw that he wa
about to speak, in an instant by transi
ton so vague that it could be felt not seen
she raised between them the impassabl
barrier of her coldness and unconscious
ness.
The man, devoted all his life to his am
bitions, had little experience OF women
and he was utterly repelled. And yet tn
more unattainable seemed the object c
his hopes and affections, the more intens
became his desire for the accomplishment
of his plans. Ambition and statescrat
national interests and foreign complication
were alike forgotten. To overcome tn
sudden GOODNESS of Marion Lisle, to obtai
her for his wife, became the object of a
his thoughts, the business of his life. An
thus we find him absorbed in the on
thought the one single present purpos'
unmindful of the brilliant throng, III
needing comment or observation, or pit.
And afar we see, cold, selfcentred, in a
almost sublime egotism, the object OF h
affections.
Marion Lisle, Graded in admiration, fe
upon it, had become Unsuitable. Only fres
conquests satisfied her. She grew imp
tient of the old love, pining for the ne,
She had passed years in this way. n
longer in her extreme youth, she was fro
time to time warned to make her selectio
to reward some lovers fealty with h
hand. She knew that the time must cou
when her waning charms would cease