New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-06-02
MR.. AND MRS. MEYER.
BY NORA PERRY.

BY NORA PERRY.
They are playing LIE Desirl "Tum, tum
tum, tum-ti-tum" waving an imaginary
baton with white glove in the air to per
feet time with hummed words and tn,
band in the hall. "Tum, tum, tum p anC
the owner of the white glove put out hi
hand TO the lady beside him.
"Can you resist those strains 2" She LEI
him draw her arm within his own, and
went in.
''Tum, tum, tum ~ and down the elastic
floor they joined the walters. And the
soft lace floated out its may clouds, and
the soft hair fiuttered its pennOn of curls
and the soft hand lay like little bird in
the larger hand.
"Tum, tum, tum one more tum !" and
away to the flute, violin, bassoOn, unwind
ing those Beethoven links of sound with
twinkling feet and airy motion.
Zone more turn p and the countless skirts
of tulle and tarlatan and lace settled into
stiffness, drifting away like mountain mist
over the arm of the fauteuil and the chalked
dance space on the floor.
Pretty creature isn't she r.
Leeds thinks sO;" and the two gentlemen
moved off through the rooms.
Another gentleman quiet, well-bred,
commOnplace-lOOkiug persOn-hearing this
cOllOquy, glanced up from his tete-a-tete
with sort of FlOre MIvor girl, and re-
garded the pretty creature" and her com
panion with some earnestness. The COM
panion, Mr.. Leeds, is tanning her with a
glittering trihe of pearl and sandal-wOod
but it is July night, there is only land
breeze, and the room feels sitting after the
waltz.
"Will you go out on the veranda again ?"
he proposes; she accepts the proposal, rising
and smoothing out the foam white drapery.
just then the commonplace gentleman
turns as she passes, and says:
II wouldn't, Kate, you'll take cold now"
There's very little air, Mr.. Meyer" Mr..
Leeds interpOses
"But she is so heated, Mr.. Leeds"
''Wel, perhaps / had better not" the
lady amiably aequiesces; "we will walk in
the hall-that win do" And they leave the
saloon, nOdding pleasantly to Mr.. Meyer,
and turn into the long entrance hall, where
the band plays and the light comes softer
through rose shade. And Mr.. Never goes
back to his talk with the MIvOr; but all
the time be is stalking he is thinking: II
wonder if she likes Leeds ?" Likes means
a good deal in Mr.. Meyers calm phrase
Ology.
man." and thinking thus he looked up, and
saw the handsome fellow" stopping to
hasten his companions bracelet.
You are thinking Mr.. Meyer is a rival
or brother, perhapsl Mr.. Meyer is the love
ly walters husband. That is Mrs. Robert
son Meyer who stands under the pale rose
lights of the hall chandelier while Mr..
Leeds fastens her bracelets. And in con
sequence of just such little amicable scenes
as the above Mr.. and Mrs Meyer are called
a model cOuple-a pair of turtle-dOves.
-Four years ago, in June, Robertson
Meyer led Anna Catherine Gates to the
altar. 1t was the briefest wOOing that ever
sped. Three months before marriage they
had never seen each other. The whole
thing was ordained by family pOwers-like
the wOOiDg and wedding of their royal
transatlantic cousins. And this was the
way:
One day Anna Catherine found herself an
orphan with not money enough to buy her
self another pair Of glOves-she who had
bought "Alexandre's" by the dozen and by
the box all her lifetime. Before she re-
allied the inconvenience fully, however, the |
junior partner Of Gates, Geer & Co., |
Robertson Meyer, was sent out from the |
East India house to see her-which meant, !
by the cool reasoning of Joshua Greer to |
marry her mo father, no mother or |
brother, and the daughter of our unfortu- |
nate partner John Gates risked his whole |
fortune in a private speculation, and then |
died penniless-''we must do something for |
her; the best thing to do is to marry her. / |
can Z marry ueTy IOE III already married. |
but you can, Robertson"
Living amidst the heather nearly all his |
life, this advice did not strike young Never |
as odd or irregular. So he packed his port |
manteau and started for the United States |
to see to Anna Catherine Gates-that is, to |
marry her. 1t was only part of the firms |
business. Arrived in New York, he made |
himself presentable, and then presented !
himself to Anna Catherine. The household !
was not yet broken up, though dreadfully
uncomfortable, from the new rule of for
tieth cousins wife who was to purchase the
estate. And so be met Anna Catherine in |
the prettiest little bOudOir in the world, |
and she the prettiest thing in it-a little |
fair piece of loneliness, clad in deep mourn |
ing for her father. He had not expected to |
see such fairy, and began to pity her as he |
would have done a stray kitten. And Anna |
Catherinel The dark blown, sensible Young |
man who talked so sympathizingly Of her |
dead father, and gave her Mr. Geer's CON |
dolences, wakened all her respect and con
fdence.
And when, on the third interview, ne
mOdestly placed his hand and fortune at her
disposal she accepted him with feeling of |
escape from some dreadful nightmare-the |
nightmare Of loneliness and poverty. SO he |
took her fathers place at the head of the /
New York house, and with a patent Of |
ease-tor he was a gentleman born and /
bred-adapted himself to New York life. |
Meyer was gentleman, have said. / /
mean that IN all its length and breadth and 1
depth. He was gentleman in generosity, |
in temper, in mOdesty. Mrs. Meyer was a /
lady just the same. And so the world they /
knew said they were a model couple-a pair |
of turtle-dOves.
That night, after the waltz, and after the |
guests were all gone, and the pretty mis-
fress of the house was picking up her fan |
and flowers preparatory to going to her
room. her husband turned from the memo
randum book over which he had been alb
sorbed for the last few mOments-turned
and called, Mrs. Meyer!'
Her foot was on the stair
'Did you want me, Roberto
The sweet face with Its waiting look. the |