Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-06-18
THE RIVAL SISTERS.
CHAPTER |.


Miss Cranston, very accomplished wo-
man, kept female school near Blanton, a
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 &C
count OF the reputation of the school. Mrs.
Blake made her advent in Banton 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 Mrs Cranston as a
pupil
Hester Blake was remarkable child.
Miss Cranston found her a curious study.
''lf she is not tempted all may go well with
her, thought the old lady; shut if she is"
and the ominous shake of the head expressed
more than words.
Mrs. Blake had fifteen hundred dollars u
year, which she stated was derived from pro-
| perry in the South but where il was situa-
ted, and in what place she had lived before
she made her advent in Blanton, was a mat
ter of conjecture No amount of pumping
had been successful in extracting such inior-
nation from either mother or daughter.
For few years the stranger lived almost
alone, for her friendless advent them had not
inspired her neighbors with much confidence
in her antecedents; but 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 Il guest by the best
| families in the village
People did not trust her, but they admired
and pitied her; for they said ''she is goodly
| to look at, and she has evidently been a suf-
ferer in the battle of life" All if they had
known how, and under what circumstances
that battle had been waged, | anu inclined to
| think that the reputed widow would have
| found few friends or defenders in that strait
laced neigh5orhoed
The cottage occupied by Mrs. Blake stood
about mile from the town. 1t was com
Portable house, with veranda in front, over
which Towering vines were trained, and the
large yard that surrounded ii was shaded by
elm-trees.
She was now dreamily regarding her
daughter, who stood in front of a mirror
combing out mass of black glistening hair.
The figure of the girl was modelled after
that of her mother; there was the same per-
lection of outline; the same sinuous, elastic
movement; but the faces were not alike.
She suddenly turned, and facing her moth
err, said
''The dull monotony of this place is be-
coming uncomfortable to me. | wish to see
something of the world must see il, moth
Ell"
With a sigh, Mrs Blake said.
sit down ON that low chair, and try to be
quiet while | speak of things had almost
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 l was
cut off by the man adored why he was
permitted to wrong me so bitterly as to bring
to his home another wife while l yet lived
and suffered?
tfT t,,uct ero honly ,,,,, ,,,.1 al
you of myself before became the wife of
Armand Landry. My father was dissipa-
ted, reckless man, who owned a small place
near lie Bocage, as the Landry plantation
was called. | was his only child. was ed
ucated in a convent school in France, till
was nearly eighteen years old. Then my
aunt took me home, having already arranged
a marriage for me. was not consulted, but
l did not rebel against it, for Claude Betot
was young and good looking, and l preferred
remaining in France as his wife, to returning
to the dulness of plantation life.
'My father gave me twenty thousand
francs as my dover, and Beltot expected to
get much more from him. think that pros
pect induced him to marry me, for soon
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 wretched mis-
take, and we were glad TO separate by mutual
consent. / returned to Louisiana, 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 l, for he had not COM
pleted 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 husband
had never tried to win. | loved him to that |
degree that | thought life would be worthless |
unless 1t 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 man as my |
father was.
"DIy father swore that Armand should yet |
he my husband, and for that purpose he OBJ |
tanned 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 allowed myself |
to be united to man who had been lured |
again to our house, land when incapable of |
acting for himself, was pronounced my hus- |
band by missionary who had been so short |
time In the country that he knew nothing |
of the wrong he was helping to carry into |
effect. He was brought to the house few |
moments before 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 l did him. |
sit was several weeks before he recovered |
all the natural energy of his mind, and be-
gan once to fear that he would be perma-
nently injured by the drug had permitted to |
be administered to him. But the time came |
when he fully understood the position in |
which he was placed, and then-such scenes |
as passed between us l cannot describe He |
tiercely resented the part | had taken in en- |
trapping him into 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.
LAS soon as he was well enough to leave |
the house. he went off in search of his father, |
in spite of all / could do to detain him. His |
father instituted proceedings for a divorce, |
after sending Armand to Europe TO make |
tour, in company with Mr.. Russell and his
two daughters.
"When heard that, was devoured with |
jealousy; for 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. afterwards learned |
he was betrothed to Miss Russell.