The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1870-02-10
"A VAR beauty.


TIE regiment had been two yoorS 10 the
service, and was greatly 10 mum.
bsrs, The commSuder had established
his headquarters in the former residence
ofa wealthy planter, who 81 the epf
proach Of Notthern army csoapsd villa
bis NEGROES iuto Texas. Welcome Gs
paym sSters always were Ia the army. !
vas st onoe Invited 70 take up my quat'
tsts ia The parloFs On.thelOWer floor ol
The Col0nsie headquarters. and TO my
srsat satisfaction / iornd tOlerable we'll
tuned pisno ia the room adjoining.
sent a mrssGgs 10 The ColOnls wife -heI
husband being absent on inspection = and
asked her permission to use the instru
ment during my sciourn at the place.
It was granted With greatplOasuFe, and
ia. less Than fifteen minutes my room was
iilled with shoulder straps ofsvcry grade,
from the lieutenant Colonel to the Ser-
eesnts and OrdsrIies. Even SomeladiaS
came in, and among them woman OF
really surprising beauty She was as !
was soon intormsdlthe GOlonel's WIFE,
She had never felt happy as 10 the Gald;
snd that she would willingly engage TO
follow ,ths regiment through The whole
cam npaigu il The camp and gsFrisOn lite
were always SO agreeable as shs had
found II lhCSe. She addressed me Q fSW
fat,erinp words about tho manner In
which / performed and exacled a prom
i.e that after supper would make the
company dance. / had to consent. for.
although dancing music Wusnot precise.
lylhe genres in whichaL could show my
little ability to advantage, the whole
crowd seemed so hungry for whatslhey
called military bop, 60 that refusal
would have been more than cfuei.4-i
Supper was barely ended whom The young
officers entrusted me to redeem my prom
lee, and thebalI commenced. The piano
wos moved into corner so that | was
enabled 10 look over the whole room
and oil through IN opening which. led to
the hall. The Colonol's wife being The
the prettiest Of all the women, and in
fact the only interesting one among
them. ] kept my eyes constantly on her;
moved besides BY a certain pfesentment
that her great passion for this kind Of
life, might perhaps originate in one OF
those dangerous lissons to which a young
and beautiful woman isiexposed among
host Of unscrupulous and unmarried
officers. But 10 my astcni.hment !
could not discover tho least movement
\ Il ita Gal6le6a1es Of ny fair hosIess
which could have bstfSjed such guilt.
She danced with all who engaged het
and no Que could pride himself on the
least spark Of preferment. And yet l
could not get rid Of the thought that
something was wrong With the woman.
Was .it,a certain melapcbolytcast OF
copntenance or oalyaoue of3Lhosc- sud,
den revelations which somelimss psrmit
a degree ofinsight into a;ha character q
one fellow being? | could not tell; sul-
fcc it, that Il distIusted htrs All at
once / was struck as if by lighleuing.-
Outside the hall saw.a glitteung pair
of eyes which seemed to follow Mrs. K
through all her movements and to drink
her beauty by their penetrating looks.
The man whose eyes now began to OBJ.
serve with undivided attention was
neither an officer, nor soldier, nor a
white man. He was . mulstto-but
uncommouly hne looking. The tranS>
mittine qualities Of his white father, acc
cording to the Drawn theory, most have
been Of such q predominant character
that Tho traits Of his dark mother were
nearly oblitsratsd in him. Hs only pro-
senled the yellow skin, Curled hair and
d few Of the less offensive traits Of the
African type. Az first my hostess had
probably not observed the man 10 the
hall. But could clesrly see that when
her eyes met his flaming looks il seemed
as if her whole frame trsmbled under
his influence. Whom the waltg was at
an cad, she would danco no moro and
soon retired.
II was midnight when The dancers
permitted mo 10 quit playing aud soon
all was silent in the house. The Colo.
pelhud not yet returned when ! he'd
prepared ay night toilet. ItFOd up And
down when | heard knock al the en-.
trance door Of the hall. InSIlnctively l
opened my door aud saw the mulatto
gliding down stairs with candle 10 bis
hand like a ghost; bat when be reached
the last step lie commenced to tramp on
the aoor with certain. yehemsncc, Gsif
he intended to deceive any listener IS to
whence he came before be reached the
frontpart Of tho hall,
The Colonel had arrived, The mulat.
10 showed him TO his room and |. after
having formed q great many romantic
combinations about what I'D observed