The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-03-13

charming girl, in person, manners,
and disposition, that I evermet with. !"
The old lady paused, and an ex-
preston of sadness came over her
face. She resumed, more slowly:
1.-The Fourches entertained q good
deal, and the young medical student,
Herbert c., was often invited
both to their house and to others,
where he met the doctors daughters.
1t was soon evident to most people
that an attachment had sprung up
between himself and Helen Fourche.
yet her father was the last person to
perceive it. Il was from remark
Of mine. as an old friend OF the
family, that he gained the first init
nation of the state of things; and !
shall never forget his conduct on that
occasion. He turned ghastly pale,
with an expression almost Of horror,
and, without uttering word, seized
his hat and hurried from the room.
On the day following Helen was i'll,
ana did ot.appear ut q party which
| knew she had expected to attend.
Her sister was there, also young
Doctor G.: hut the former looked
sad, and III .ter vas, despite his
evldeut efforts to conceal it, the
picture Of misery. He did not
remain long, and had probably come
with the hope of meeting Helen. She
continued for some days indisposed
and then left the city for visit to
relative at q distance. Before she
returned, DR.. c. had left New
York and settled in q country neigh
borhood some hours distant by rail
road. And then it was rumored that
Doctor Fourche had forbidden him
and his daughter ever again to see
each other. The lovers were not the
only sufferers. The doctor himself
was evidently very unhappy. He
was very fond of his daughter, and
his protege had also been q great
favorite with him-a regard of which
he was fully worthy, for, beside un-
common personal graces and attrac-
tions, the young physician won the
love and esteem of all who knew him
for his noble manly character and
amlable disposition. It was true
that there hung sort of mystery or
obscurity about his family relations;
but this would not have stood in the
way of his marrying unexceptionably,
until Doctor Fourche's conduct in
forbidding him the hand of his
daughter first raised doubts and sus-
picions on this point. Once, when
ventured to allude to the subject,
lnqulrlng what could be his obiec-
tlons to his daughters marrying SO
promising young man, he started
suddenly up, exclaiming, For Gods
sake, madam, spare met and I never
after mentioned Herbert C-'s
name to him.
when Helen Fourche returned
home she was little more than the
shadow of her former self. Still
very beautiful, but pale, absent and
spiritless, she moved in society more
like an automaton than the bright
fascinating girl she had been. This
lasted sone two or three months,
and then one day she suddenly dis
appeared. The first I, or any one else
except the family, knew of this event,
was one day seeing Doctor Fourche
rush like a mailman out Of his Office.
without hat or coat, and springing
into q hack which happened to be
passing, dash furiously down the
street in the direction of the railroad
depot Then it became known
throughout the neighborhood that
Helen had eloped, and was gone to
meet her lover at a place appointed
by her, and that they were then to be
and proceed to a neighbor-
ing State, where Doctor c. pro
posed taking up his permanent resi-
dence. For three weeks after this we
heard nothing more about them. At
the end of that time Doctor Fourche
returned home, an altered man.
From that day I scarcely ever saw
him smile. He became prematurely
rarely ever seen in society,"
and when there, was no longer the
brilliant and elegant wit who had
been one of its chief ornaments. Peo-
pie attributed this to his daughters
marriage-but though great was the
wonder and curiosity, no one ever
dared to mention her name to her
family, and for years nothing was
known of her or her husband, as he
was now supposed to be.
''At length the truth came out,
This is true story that I am telling
you, Laura; yet no romance of fiction
could be stranger or sadder in it's
ending"
Again there was pause, and the
oid lady seemed absorbed in painful