The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1870-03-16
ALEXANDRIA, La, WEDNESDAY, MARCH is, 1870. .
THE FALSE FnIEND;
THE OLD MAIDS SECRET.
[From the N. Y. Record ]
[CONTINuED.1

iN'"S"''V' anu, SV'HtNH1G 10 my SUI
prise, did not inclnde my friend in til
invitation. Hitherto we had alway
gone down there together, but tLi
time there was Il postscript to the lette
which / was not intended to see.
said Pray let Hester. for once in he
existence, try to dispense with til
society OF Edith Gresham; and trie
to think how my friend could possibl
have offended my sister, but in vain
1t was all arranged for me, and on tn
appointed day I went down to Villar
Castle, accompanied only by m,
maid. a,
"iiow well l remember that frs
evening of my arrival! was late, ant
found my sister in her room, dressin.
Tor dinner. She scanned my appear
ance with a keen eye, and then aslSe,
me what toilettes had brought will
me. When l enumerated them. s},,
said hastily that I must he in white
that She had her reasons; that color.
never became me and that she wished
me that evening to look my best.
turned from Ter with plying smile
poor dear Marian I suspected direct
ly that she had some of her fayorit,
plans in her head, and 1 laughincl,
decked myself for the OCCASION.
shall never forget that evening, Helen
l shall never forget that fortnight
The evening was but the beginning o.
series of days of happiness such as ]
had never known before. As I sit here
now, in sadness and gloom, my closed
eyes, by their internal light, can call
mp, as wildly as ever, scenes, words,
and looks whicl, time, and space, and
circumstances have put far from me
In the silence of night, during my
hours of wakeful rest, there rings in
my car again the voice that made
those days SO bright, now lost to me
for cver.n La 80
'By death % asked the young lis
teDer, softly.
"No--no--not by death" was the
reply; "worse!'
But. dear Miss Mortimer" said
Helen, ''ifnot by death, it may not be
quite-qnite lost for ever"
'Listen, and judge" was the reply,
and Miss Mortimer continued. ,ies
81 was late for dinner that day,
having arrived late. / entered the
room when the guests were pairing off,
and ] had no time to look at the part
ner brought up to me by my sister,
and on whose arm l descended. To
you, Helen, this gentleman must be
Colonel Gerard. Before dinner was
over had resolved in my own mind
that this was one of the handsomcst
men l had ever seen, and one of the
most agreeable; and when, in the
evening, my sister asked me my opin-
ion OF him, | did not deny that
thought him so.
"non't say one of the most ex-
Marion delighted, but say
the most. Colonel Gerard is one of a
thousand, and the more yon know of
him, the more you will see that in call.
ing him a distinguished man, the
world only does him justice. / asked
him here on purpose to meet yon, Hes
ter, because he has often heard of
you from some friend Of his. He
came prepared to like you, and 1 hope
he is not disappointed
81 hoped so. too, though did not
choose to say so; but as the days
passed l hoped it still more. and
fancied he was not. A week, ten DAYS
and at last the Whole fortnight expired.
and Colonel Gerard, being in Parlia-
mfnt, went up totown, but not before
he had said he hoped to see me soon
again, and asked permission to call ON
my mother This request did not sur
prise me; it was aregnlar fashion with
all my new acquaintance and part.
ners: yet still l seemed to feel that
there was difference in the manner in
which he asked it, and for the first
time in my life was not sorry to ex.
change Villars Castle for London.
81 returned gladly. and l remember
that the first day at home seemed
interminable; many a visitor, but not
the one | expected, until quite late
too late for ordinary visitors-a lona
ring Stalled me, and Miss Gresham
was announced. l was rather startled
and ashamed OF myself to feel how my
heart sank rs She entered. / had not
looked for her, nor ctcn Thought of
her; and | know she saw it in my r.
ceptlon. The eager anxiety and in
terest with which she questioned me as
to how had enjoyed myself, and
whom | had met, actually appeared tn
me now rather in the light of officious
lnquisitiyencss, and did not answer
with my usual candor. nor pour ont
my whole hears, as ! was wont to do
and she perceived it. - +
"Yen are hiding something from me.