Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-06-11
The Rival Sisters.
CHAPTER |.
2 >@1 q III Al I'll.
4 BEAUTIFUL But DANGEROUS HEROINE.

s
Miss CranSton. a very accomplished woman.
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 Blanton in the character of
widow who had recently lost her husband, and
| she brought with her a dangh ten years Of
age, named Hester, who was placed with Miss
! Crarlston as a pupil.
| Hester Blake was remarkable child.
Miss Cranston fuunl her cnrlonS study.
IF she is not tempted all may 60 we'll with
her, thought the Old lady; but if she is
and the luminous shake Of the head expressed
more than words.
Mrs Blake had fifteen hundred dollars
year, which she stated was derived from prop
! erty in the South but where it Was situated.
and in what place she had lived before she
! made her advent in BiantOn, was Il matter OF
conjecture, No amount OF pumping had been
successful in extracting such information from
either mother OF daughter.
For few years the stranger lived almost
alone. for her iriendess advent among them
had not inspired her 'ncghbors with much
confidence in her antecedenls; 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 guest by
the best families in the village.
People did not trust her, but they admired
and piticd her for they said = he Is go.dy
to look at, and she has evidently been suffer
cr in the battle OF life Ahl it they had known
! how. and nuder what circumstances that battle
had been wagcd an inclined to think that
the rcputed widow would have found lew
| & tl.t ,t.pI 10 h.
| bnrhood.
The cottage occupied by Mrs Blake stood
about a mile from the town. 1t was comfort
able house, with veranda in front, over
which flower vines were trained, and the large
ward that surrounded it was shaded by elm
trees.
She was now drcamiIy regarding her daugh-
ter, who stood in front OF a mirror conflng out
a 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 slnuou>, elastic
! movement but the faces were not alike
She suddenly turned, and facing her mother
said .,...
'The dull monotony Of this place is hecoln
ing uncomfortable to me. wish to some
thing of the world m'tsi see it. mother.
With sigh Mrs. Blake said
Sit down on that low chair. and try TO he
quiet while speak Of things had almost tic,
termned never TO reveal to you.
Hester sat down, and prepared 10 listen tn
what she had so long desired to know
Mrs Blake at length spoke:
You ask me how it happened that | was
cast of by the man | adorcd why he was
permitted to wrong me ST. bitterly as to bring
To his home another vile while yet lived
and suffered?
Il must go back to my early life, and tell
You of myself buf,rc | became the vile q!
Armand Landry. My father was u lSspaled
reckless man. who owned small place ucar
lie Bocage, as the Landry plantation was called
was his only child. | was educated in Il CON
vent school in France, till was nearly eighteen
wears DID, Then my aunt took me home hav-
ing already arranged Il marriage Tor ne. |
was not consulted. but did not rebel
against it, for Claude Bcltot was young and
good looking, and | preferred remaining in
France as his wife. to returning 10 the dn!lncsS
or plantation ite
My father gave me twenty thousand francs
as my dover, and Bctot expected to get much
more from him. | think that prospect induced
him to marry me, for soon found that he was
as indifferent to me as was to him.
indifference soou merged into contempt on
my side, and something like aversion on his.
We had evidently made wretched mistake,
and we were glad to separate by mutual con
sent | returned to Louisiana, and Beltot went
to Algeria.
when came back to my early home
found my father living as rccklesSy 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-wcll-I was mad enough to give him
the heart my husband had never tried 10 win
| loved him to that degree that thought lite
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 pround old father would look with scorn on
the daughter of such man as NY father was.
INV father swore that Armand should yet
be nv 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 be-
came his wife. | entered into his plans, shame
tul as they we're, and allowed myself to be uul-
ted to man who had been lured again to our
house, and when incapable OF acting Tor him.
self, was pronounced my husband BY mission
airy VINO had been so SNORT lllDc III llie couu-
try that he knew nothing of the wrong he was
helping to carry into effect He was brought
to the house few moments before the cere-
mony was performed, and left Immediately at.
tcrward.
"a time had been chosen when the elder
Landry was absent from home [ believed that
Armand loved me as truly as did him.
1T was several weeks before he recovered all
the natural energy Of his mind, and began
once to fear that he would be permanently IN
jured by the drug had permitted to be adj
ministered 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 | cannot describe. lie fercely re-
sentcd the part had taken in eutrappiug him
into marriage that would be odious to lis
proud father, and declared that he could never
's7Vainy tried all my powers of fncination
to enthral him, and win forgiveness from him.
s'As soon as he was we'll enough to leave the