Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1872-06-17
THE RIVAL SISTERS.
CHAPTER I.

A BEAUTIFUL But DANGEROUS HEROINE.
Miss Crauston. very accomplished wo-
man, kept female school near Blanton,
quiet town in New Jersey. This place
had been selected by Mrs. Blake, the
mother Of one of the Rival Sisters as her
home, on account of the reputation of the
school. Mrs Blake made her advent in
Blauton in the character of widow who
had recently lost her husband, and she
brought with her daughter ten years of
age, named Hester, who was placed with
Miss Cranston as pupil.
Hester Blake was a remarkable child.
Miss Cranston found her curious
study.
oIf she is not tempted all may 60 we'll
with her, thought the old lady; but if
she is" and the ominous shake of the
head expressed more than words.
Mrs. Blake had fifteen hundred dollars
"A year, which she stated was derived from
property in the South; but where it 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-
dents but as time went on she won upon
the good opinion OF those around her, and
at the time our story opens, she was
received as a guest by the best families in
the village.
People did not trust her, but admired
and pitied her; for they said "she is
goodly 10 look at, and she has evidently
been a suffering in the battle of life Alb
II they had known how, and under what
circumstances that battle had been waged
am inclined 20 think that the reputed
widow would have found few friends Of
defenders IN that strait-laced neighbor
hood
The cottage occupied by Mrs, Blake
stood about a mile from the town II was
comfortable house, with a veranda IN
IN front, over which Towering vines were
trained, and the large yard that surround
cd it was shaded by elm-trees.
She was now dreamily regarding her
daughter who stood In front of mirror
combing out mass Of black glisteninl
hair
The figure of the girl was modelled af
ter that of her mother; th5re was the sam,
perfection Of outline the same sinuous
elastic movement; but the faces were NO
alike.
She suddenly turned, and facing he
mother, said
"The dull monotony of this place is be
coming uncomfortable to me. wish to SCI
something OF the world MUST sse il
mother
With a sigh, Mrs Blake said
sit down on that low chair and try t
be quiet while speak of things | ha,
almost determined never TO reveal t
you"
Hester sat down, and prepared to listei
TO what she had so long desired to know
Mrs Blake at length spoke
"YOu ask me now 1t happened that
was cast off by the man / adored y-wh
he was permitted to wrong me so bitterl
as 20 bring 10 his home another wife Will
yet lived and suffered
al must go back 10 my early life AM
tell You of myself before | became tn
wife of Armand Landry. My father wa
a dissipated, reckless man, who owned
small place near lie Bocage, as the Landr
plantation was called. / was his Onl
child was educated in a convent schoC
in France, till was nearly eighteen year
old. Then my aunt took me home, hav
ing already arranged marriage for mt
/ was not consulted, but did not rebC
against it, for Claude Beltot was youn
and good looking, and preferred remain
ing IN France as his wife, To returning
the dizziness of plantation life.
My father gave me twenty thousan
francs as my dover, and Beltot expecte
TO get much more from him. Think this
prospect induced him to marry me. for
soon found that he was rs indifferent
me as | was TO him.
indifference soon merged into co,
tempt on my side, and something hi
aversion on his, We had evidently MAJ
a wretched mistake, and we were glad
separate by mutual consent. / return,
10 Louisiana, and Beltot went To Alperi
"When / came back TO my early HON,
found my father living as recklessly
ever.
Among the young men who came to
house was Armand Landry. He was /
years younger than l, for he had not CO
pleted his twentieth year when / first n
him. He soon forsook the gaming Ia
To- finger near me, and I-well-I was N
enough to give him the heart my husba
llNHN aaxak kEied To MIN. 1 loved him
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