The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-06-14
THE RIVAL SISTERS.
CHAPTER !

had been selected Dy MIS-. Diahe' INC
mother of one of the Rival Sisters, as her
home, on account of the reputation OF the
school. Mrs. Blake made her advent in
phantom in the character of widow who
had recently lost her husband, and she
brought with her a daughter ten years of
age. named Hester, who was placed with
Miss Cranston as a pupil.
Hester Blake was remarkable child.
Miss Cranston found her curious
study.
"If she is not tempted, all may go well
with her" thought the old lady;, "6ut II
she is and the ominous shake OF the
head expressed more than words.
Mrs. Blake had fifteen hundred dollars
year, which she stated was derived from
property in the South; but where IL was
situated, and in what place she had lived
before she made her advent in Blanton,
was matter of conjecture. No amount
of pumping had been successful in ex-
tracing such information from either
mother or daughter.
For few years the stranger lived al
most alone, for her friendless advent
among them had not inspired her neigh
bors with much confidence in her antece-
cents; bat as time went on, she won upon
the good opinion of those around her, and
at the time my story opens, Mrs. Blake
was received as guest by the best FAM
lilies In the village.
People did not trust her, but they adj
mired and pitied her; for they said "she is
goodly to look at, and she has evidently
been sufferer In the battle of life." All!
if they had known how, and under what
circumstances that battle had been waged,
| am inclined to think that the reputed
widow would have found few friends or
defenders in that strait-aced neighbor-
hood. --.-
The cottage occupied by Mrs. Blake
stood about mile from the town. 1t was
comfortable house. with veranda in
front, over which Towering vines were
trained, and the large yard that surround
ed il was shaded by elm-trees.
She was now dreamily regarding her
daughter, who stood in front OF mirror
combing out a mass of BLACK glistening
hair.
The figure of the girlw modelled after
that of her mother; there was the same
perfection of outline; the same snuous,
elastic movement; but the faces were not
alike.
She suddenly turned, and facing her
mother, said:
"The dull monotony of this place is be-
coming uncomfortable to me. | wish TO see
something of the world-I mast see it,
mother"
With sigh, Mrs. Blake said:
''Sit down on that low chair, and try to
be quiet while speak of things | had al
most determined never to reveal to you.'
Hester sat down, and prepared to listen
to what she had so long desired to know.
Mrs. Blake at length spoke:
"You ask me how it happened that |
was cast off by the man l adored?-why
he was permitted to wrong me so bitterly
as to bring to his home another wife while
yet lived and suffered? ..
II must 90 back to my early life, and
tell you of myself before l became the
wife of Armand Landry. My father was "A
dissipated, reckless man, who owned ii
small place near LIE Bocage, as the Landry
plantation was called. | was his only
child. was educated in a convent school
in France, till | was nearly eighteen years
old. Then my aunt took me home, having
already arranged marriage for me.
was not consulted, but [ did not rebel
against it, for Claude BeltoU was young
and good looking, and preferred remain
ing in France as his wife, to returning TO
the dizziness of plantation life.
my father gave me twenty thousand
francs as my dover, and BeltOt expected
to get much more from him. | think that
prospect induced him to marry me, for |
room found that he was as Indifferent to
me as was to him.
Indifference soon merged into contempt
on my side. and something like aversion
on his. We had evidently made wretch
ed mistake, and we were glad to separate
by mutual consent. | returned to Louis
ana. and Beltot went to Algeria.
"When came back to my early home
found my father living as recklessly as
ever.
"AmOng the young men who came to
his house was Armand Landry. He was
two years younger than |, for he had not
completed his twentieth year when | first
met him. He soon forsook the gaming
table to linger near me, and I-well-I was
mad enough to give him the heart my hus-
band had never tried to win. | loved him
TO that degree that thought life would be
worthless unless it was shared with him.
"Armand seemed devoted to me, but he
never asked me TO marry him. He knew
that his proud old father would look with
scorn on the daughter of such a man as
my father was.
'My father swOre that Armand should
yet be my husband, and for that purpose
he obtained divorce for me from Beltot.
/ was so infatuated that cared little by
what means Armand was to be ensnared,
provided became his wife. ! entered into
his plans, shameful as they were, and al
lowed my self to be united to a man who
had been lured again to our house, and
when incapable OF acting for himself, was
pronounced my husband by missionary
who had been so short time in the coun-
try that he knew nothing of the wrong he
was helping to carry into effect. He was
brought to the house a few moments be-
fore the ceremony was performed, and left
Immediately afterward.
"a time had been chosen when the elder
Landry was absent from home. believed
that Armand loved me as truly as | did
him.
st was several weeks before he recov-
cred all the natural energy Of his mind,
and began once to fear that he would be
permanently injured by the drug had
permitted to be administered 10 him. But
the time came when he fully understood
the Losition in which he was placed, and
then-such scenes as passed between us
cannot describe. He fiercely resented the
part had taken in entrapping him into a
marriage that would be odious to his proud
father, and declared that he could never
forgive me.
"Vainly tried all my powers of fascina-
ton to enthrall him, and win forgiveness
from him.
"As soon as he was well enough to leave
the house, he went off in search of his
father, in spite of all coul9 do to detain
him. His father instituted proceedings for
a divorce, after sending Armand to Europe
to make tour, in company with Mr.. Rus
sell and his two daughters.
"When l he ard that, was devoured
with jealousy; tor Ellinor Russell was the
young lady who had been chosen by Mr..
Landry for his sons wife. and report said
that she was both rich and charming.
afterward learned he was betrothed to
Miss Russell.
"When this happened, you were but a
few weeks old, and was lett with you to
take care of, AMI little enough to do it
with.
"Ah! how hated that fair beauty who
had caused me so much woe! Many a
night, after you were asleep, have stolen
from my cottage, and made my way to the
stately home in which that woman dwelt,
surrounded by loving care that of right
belonged to me. Concealed in the shrub
berry, have listened to his voice speak
ing to her in accents of deeper tenderness
than he had ever used to me, and vowed
within my soul that would find means to
blight the happiness they seemed to find
In each other. They were married.
MY hate eliminated when a daughter
was born who was destined to fill the place
in your fathers house OF which YOU had
been defrauded.
''Your half-sister is two years younger
than you, and in your childhood you were
so much alike that but for the difference in
size you might have been taken for twins.