The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-09-02
GREEK MEETS GREEK.

KenelOn was not q particularly re
markable man, for either his mental
moral or physical qualities. He ha,
neither achieved greatness, nor had j
been thrust upon him; but a. sta
danced, and under. that he was born
ANY of Guys acquaintance would un
hesitatingly have wagered that thi
star was the star of love, for never wa
man who was more perfect a master o
the magic" "open sesame" to all heart
than he.-All men liked him-all wo
men loved him. i...s l-.s ..,lsl s.ii ~
1t was not impossible that tile reso
luton on his brow, and the singuia
firmness visible in the dark face, anG
which made the quick smile NOR,
bright by cOntrast-it is not impossible
that they were born of the same quail
ty of mental power that made a Caesar
or Bonaparte famous; if SO, it's tt
be regretted that the only use to which
he put his strategic and Warlike ability
was the ignoble one of laying siege t
and capturing the heart feminine. A
] drawing-room gallant, with every
prospect of remaining one to the END
of his DAYS; not that he had premedi-
tately chosen this career as career.
1t was more the result OF circumstan-
| ces; the principal circumstances being
the astonishing facility with which
young ladies cOntrived to be interested
| in him.
But were the girls to blame? How,
in reasons name, was girl to know
by intuition ?-that when Guy Kene-
Ion talked exquisite sentiment to her
by moonlight, and his great eyes
beamed tenderly upon her, liquid and
serene as the reflection of two stars in
a lake-how was she to know that it
was a way quite common to him,
which meant nothing in particular, un-
less present entertainment. and was
entirely unconnected with any over
powering affection for herself? Or
when, after paying her all sorts of
charming compliments and winning
little attention, he sang in his musical
tenor voice perfect gems OF love melO-
dies, all breathing despair, and turned
his fine dark face full toward her, pa
thetic with emotion-did it require a
girl of extraordinary vanity to imag-
Inc that the troubled waters of love ag-
itated his soul, and that her hand held
the magic rod that struck the rock?
At the time our story commences,
the last trophy which Mr.. Kenelon
had, with conscious grace, attached to
his string of conquests was little Barba-
ra Alison. The way it had come about
was this: Kenelon, journeying through
Derbyshire, had suddenly bethought
him that the b ouse of friend, Alex
ander Alison, was situated in the vicin-
ity, and improving the opportunity to
pay long promised visit, he searched
out Green Spring Place and the ALI
sons. -s. ....a-J- ID.
|, "And stay a week ~ exclaimed Al
eX. when his friend mentioned that
length of time as the intended measure
of his visit. "My dear fellow, allow
me to inform you that you Will not be
allowed to resume your peregrlnatlons
within two months at the very least;
and unless you make yourself unbear-
ably disagreeable we will not let you
60 then without remonstrance. 1ou
see," he continued, Z" all tie family are
at Scarborough for the season; andgust
as Barbie and l were about starting,
we received a letter from cousin Helen
Derry, in London, saying that she
wants to come down and spend the
summer with us. So we must remain
and entertain her, and we want you to
stay and do likewise. We have al
ready confiscated Miss Emma Harris,
and if you possess any of that chieiest
of virtues, charity, there is fine op-
portunity before you to display it.n
Thus urged, having nothing else TO
do, and seeing that his consent would
give them real pleasure, KenelOn deci-
ded to stay, and had enlivened his visit
with so successful Irritation with nret-
ty Barbie Alison, that in SURPRISING
ly brief time Barbie's heart was, as be-
fore mentioned, a conquered province.
Emma Harris, a sensible, kind-leart
ed girl Barbie's dearest friend and pros
pective sister-in-law, who knew Kene-
Ion of old, had warned her friend i'm
vain; she had ears, but heard not.
The time had been passing very
pleasantly, with Alex. devoted to EN-
ma, and Kenelon to Barbie: and it
was not with feelings of the liyeliest
satisfaction that the ladies began to an
ticipate the arrival of the guest, Miss
Derry. But whether their thoughts
Were inimical to her or not, they did
not Operate in the least to retard it.
One warm, bright afternoon, as they
sat on the lawn together, except Alex,
who came with her in the carriage, she
arrived, slender, elegant girl, in the
fastest Of peral-hued travelling suits, |
her features small and delicate, and n
mass of pale golden hair brushed away
from her face, and falling in a shower
of curls behind. Alex. led her to the
porticO, where he paused Just long
enough to say a few low, pleasant
words to kenelon and Emma Harris,
and then swept OH through the hall up
stairs with Barbie to her room.
" Fair-haired, like an angel" said
kenelon, smiling over to Alex.
But Alex, still looking in the direc-
ton size had vanished, and not noticing
what he had said, he quoted again,
Her blue eyes have looks like birds
flying straightway to the light.u
Helen is very lonely" said Alex,
coming out of his fits of abstraction
this time. ..
"Well, but, my dear fellow, if you
continue TO take it so seriously, it will
eventually injure your health" laughed
kenelon.
Emma Harris, with a slight flush Oh
her cheek, turned and walked thought
fully into the house.
Miss Derry came down to dinner in
summer evening toilet, so fresh and
airy that one almost felt cooler only to
look at her. She talked but little,
pleading dullness, arising from slight
fatigue. fatigue, however, did not
prevent her from observing that Alex.
tall, broad-shouldered, fair-haired, and
Raphael-faced, was more than ordina-
rily handsome, or from noting the diff
ference between his eager, undisguised,
admiration, and the more conscious,
self-possessed grace of Guys deferen-
tial manner.
Nor did it take many days for Miss
Derry to ascertain the state of affairs
at Green Spring Place. She remarked
almost Immediately how fluttered,
pleased and happy Barbie was in list
ening to Kenelon's delightful nothings,
which might mean anything the hero
faucied, and with what careless gra-
ciousneSs he received her Difference.
d" Pshaww exclaimed Miss Derry to
herself, in disgust with Barbie. "The |
girl mas no sense. OF all men, he is the
last to be won in that way; and as for
him, the mans sself-complacency would
pe amusing, III III were Hol piONOhIuS'
Weeks went by, and poor Barbie's
heart was pierced to see that Guy, true
to the habit that was his second nature,
rendered little services to beautiful Hell
en- Derry as courteously and winningly
as he had rendered them to her, but APP
parently without the same effect. Miss
Derry declined to be interested senti-
mentally. She was undoubtedly the
chief attraction of the party. Skilled
i'm all tho lift la n rfS fl, at anfartain and