The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1872-12-05

b rlage.daog and handed oat drst. uu cid
, lady with gray hair aud bent tramc.
. who descended with 1aieuy, resting 90
, stick, anj then ta'i elegant ypnaE
. girl vith bright b,ug eyes, a clear com.
. pleEiaH, abd chestnut bands falling on
either lde 81 Der face Those ladies,
. thc younger especially, were received
j with great emprcssmeut by Arthur Acton
aud conducted hv hliu into the hotel,
Five minutes Afterwards. Don Diego
Gonfalon, -ippiug bis second glass Of Ab-
siuthe. and smoking bis fourth after
breakfast cigar on the promenade, was
summoned by his French servant, who
told him tiat Mademoisela, his sister,
wished 10 speak with him at once.
He lonnd her wrapped in @ white mus.
I'm dressing. gown, and seated in low
casy-ehair by the window. Her luxurious
back hair was hastily gathered up uto a
great knot at the back of her head, an d
there were bistro rings round her lumi-
nous black eyes. Her face was deadly
pale, and her lips colorless and rigid.
Diego marked all this at one glance; then
dropping into a chair next to her, be took
one Of her hands in his, and, gazing ten
DERBY into her face, said
You are better, my slstcry
Yes, my brother, much better within
the last hour To be quite well within a
very few days, if al goes rigbtly,and you
are true to me, She has arrived.
All! ahl and Diego drew a long breath
between his teeth. You have seen her?
saw her arrive! saw her received
by him! saw him conduct her into the
house? saw bis fingers tighten round
hers aud her hand glide into his.
And you still require
All that | urged, and you promised
All that should be demanded of one who
has Sighted Gonfalon and your sister.
His ruin first, then his death!
Nothing less?
Nothing!
Don Diego shrugged his shoulders,
kissed his sisters hand, aud returned to
bic cigar aud absinthe.
There is "a specially exclusive setat Ba-
den, sanctum sanetornm known as the
Ladies' Club, because no gentleman is adj
mssabe to it reunions save Oh the ballot
of the lady members. II is held in one of
the private rooms of the Conversations
haus, and is frequented during the even.
ing by the ladies and their attendant cav
alters. At a late hour, when the ladies
have retired. those men who have the en-
tree remain and there many quiet games
of cards are carried on, for which the or
dinary public rooms would be too noisy
and too exposed. 1t was after midnight
when Arthur Acton stepped into the
/ Ladies' Club, then emptied Of its proper
occupants and given to denizens Of the
male sex, some Of whom were already as
sembled round the card-tables. Acton
was in splendid spirits; he had been the
whole day with Miss Paliser, showing her
the lions Of the place, and she had been
voted tremendous success by every one.
Blaze French marqnises and pudgy Ger
man barons had reused themselves from
/ their domnocs to stare after the fresh
and brilliant beauty Of the English girl.
( And she had been very sweet and anec-
tionatc to him, too; and altogether he
was in the seventh heaven Of happiness.
and showed 1T in his brilliant ewes and
/ flushing cheeks. He walked up to knot
of his friends who were standing at the
head OF the room, and commenced chat
ting with them, when he felt bis arm
lightly touched, and turning round saw
Diego Gonfaon. | come to ask that re-
yengc which you promised me after our
ccarte two nights since.
Nothing could have been more nal ap-
ropos. Arthur was in no humor for a
cool, calculating game at cards; he was
overwhelming with animal spirits, long
ing for some outlet for his happiness.
He replied, awkwardy enough
Eh? Ecarte? Tonight, do you think
Pm scarcely in the humor tonight and
Non can't do that, Arthur! said in
English old Sir Pierce Coyordale, who
was standing by; if you won the man
money last time, you're bound to play
when he asks you, however inconyenient
1t may be, and
We'll, be It SO, said Arthu,with a sigh. /
Then, turning with a sprgbtly air to the /
spaniard, he pointed to 4 vacant card
table, and said politely, Mosieur, je yous
attends!
They were well known among the fre- /
quenters Of the club, these two, as first I
rate players. A. they took the cards 4
little crowd gathered silently round; and /
50 soon as play commenced the by-stand- /
ers began to bet Soon there were few +
murmurs ia the ring Acton was SO /
thoroughly transported with happiness. /
so fuIl ofpeasant memories of the day
with his beloved, that De appeared nm
able TO fix his attention on Bis cards. +
while his opponent was strlneing every
aerye 20 the encounter. They formed O
grand contrast, these two men; the one,
big, fair DtiY, Iighthcarted, aud insou.
Giant; taa other, chin, swar,ly, grave
aud ialontlg watching biz own hand and
lhai OF bjsopP0ncnt +
~ three Ira the morning Diego GoulaloH
returned 90 his hotel, tie passed up the
stairs with iishl steps bot a. he uearcd