Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-06-12
THE RIVAL SISTERS.
CHAPTER /.
A BEAUTIFUL But DANGEROUS He
ROME.

hOlNE.
Miss Cranston, a very accomplished
woman, kept a female school near Blan-
ton, 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 account of the reputa-
ton of the school. Mrs. Blake made
her advent in Blanton in the character
Of a widow who had recently lost her
husband, and she brought with her a
daughter ten years of age, named Hes
ter, who was placed with Miss Grams
ton as a pupil.
Hester Blake was a remarkable child.
Miss Cranston found her a curious
study.
aft she is not tempted, all may 90
well with her" thought the old lady;
''but if she is-n and the Ominous shake
of the head expressed more than words.
Mrs. Blake had fifteen hundred dol
lars a year, which she stated was de-
rived from property in the South; but
where it wa situated, and in what place
she had lived before She made her advent
in BlantOn, was a matter of conjecture.
NOamount o pumping had been success
full in extracting such information from
either mother or daughter.
For a 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 ante
/ cedents; 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 a guest by
/ the best families in the village.
People did not trust her, but they adj
/ VaTrad 0VA nfffnA hnrs for #haw~ rCTI lf-L-
is goOdly to look at, and she has evil
IDENTIFY been a sufferer in the sbattle of
life" All! if they had known how,
and under what circumstances the bat
tie had been waged, / am inclined to
think that the reputed widow would
have found few friends or defenders in.
that strait-laced neighbOrhOOd.
The cottage occupied by Mr.. Blake
/ stood about a mile from The town. 1t
was a comfortable house, with a veranda
in front, over which Towering vines
were trained, and the large yard that
surrounded il was shaded by elm trees.
She was now dreamily regarding her
daughter, who stood in front Of a mirror
cOmbingsout a mass of black, glistening
hair.
The figure Of the girl was modelled
after that Of her mother; there was the
same perfection OF outline; the same
s%inuOus, elastic movement; but the faces
were not alike.
She suddenly turned, and facing her
mother, said:
1.-THE dull mOnotony of this place is
becoming uncomfortable TO me. Iwish to
see something of the wOrld-I must see.
il, mother"
With a sigh. Mrs. Blake said:
"Sit down on that low chair, and try
TO be quiet while ] speak of things 1 had
almost determined " to reveal to
you.n
Hester sat down, and prepared to
listen to what she had so long desired
to know.
Mrs. Blake at length spoke:
"You asked me how it happened that
I was cast Off by the man / adored?-I
why he was permitted 10 wrong me so
bitterly as to bring to his home another
wife while / yet lived and suffered?
az must go back to my early life, and
tell you o fmyself before I came the wife
of Armand Landry. My father was a
dissipated, reckless man, who owned a !
small place near lie BOcage, as the
Landry plantation was called. / was
his only child. / was educated in al
convent school in France, till / was
nearly eighteen years old. Then my
aunt took me home, having already ar
ranged a marriage for me. / was not
consulted, but 1 did not rebel against it,
for Claude Beltot wa young and good
looking, and l preferred remaining ia
France as his wife to returning to the
dizziness Of plantation life.
my father gave me twenty thousand
francs as my dover, and BeltOt ex-
pected 70 get much more from him. ii
think that prospect induced him to
marry me, for / soon found that he was
as Indifferent to me as / was 10 him.
Indifference Don merged into con-
tempt on my side, and something like !
aversion on his. We had evidently
made a wretehed mistake, and we were
glad to separate by mutual consent.