New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-01-28
your hair nicely combed and put up SO +!
Would you o.

The princess nodded violently.
Would you like to live with me and hav
them: Answer them quickly. Don't lool
round for him. Speak for yourself. WOul'
yous Hush; never mind now"
} The hermit re-entered, and the princess
blinking, retreated into the shadow of tn
whale boat shed, from which she did no
emerge even when the hOmely repast of tn
cold venisOn, ship biscuit and tea was served
Miss POrttire noticed her absence. "YOl
really must not let me interfere with yOul
usual simple ways. Do you know this is ex
ceedingly interesting to me, so pastoral ant
patriarchal, and all that sort of thing.
must insist upon the princess coming back
really must"
But the princess was not to be found in
the shed, and Miss Porttire, who the next
minute seemed to have forgotten all about
| her, took her place in the single chair before
an extemporized table. Barker stood be
hind her, and the hermit leaned against the
fire place. Miss Porttire's appetite did not
come up to her prOtestatiOns For the first
time in seven years it occurred to the her
NIT that his ordinary victual might be i'm
proved. He stanmered out something to
that effect.
Il have eaten better and worse" said
Miss POrttire, quietly.
"But thought you-that is you said
II spent year in the hospitals when
father was on the Potomac" returned Miss
POrttire, compOsedly. After pause she
continued, You remember after the second
Bull Run--But, dear me; beg your par
don; Of course, YOU know nothing about the
war, and all that sort Of thing, and don't
care. tShe put up her eyeglass. and quietly
surveyed his broad muscular figure against
the chimney Or, perhaps. your pref Idices
But then as a hermit you know you
have no politics. OF course. Please don't let
| me hOre you.'
To have been strictly consistent the her
| nit should have exhibited no interest in
| this topic. Perhaps it was owing to some
| quality in the narrator, but he was con-
| strained to beg her to continue in such
|. phrases as his unfamiliar lips could COM
mand. So that little by little Miss Porttire
yielded up incident and personal observa-
ton of the contest then raging; with the
same half distracted, half uncOncerned air
that seemed habitual to her, she told the
stories of privatiOn, of suffering, of en-
durance, and of sacrifice. With the same
assumption of tmid Difference that con-
cealed her great self control, she talked of
principles and Of rights. Apparently with
out enthusiasm and without effort, of
which his morbid nature would have been
suspicious, she sang the great American
Iliad in way that stirred the depth of her
solitary auditor to its massive foundations.
Then she p stopped and asked quietly,
The hermit started. He would look for
her. But Bob, for some reason, was not
forthcoming. Search was made within and
without the hut, but in vain. For the first
time that evening Miss Porttre showed some
anxiety.
Co." she said to Barker 'and find her.
She must be found. Stay, give me your
OyercOat: I'll 90 myself-'
She threw the Overcoat over her shoulders
and stepped out into the night. In the thick
veil of fog that seemed suddenly to enwrap
her, she stood for moment irresOlute, and
then walked toward the beach, guided by
the low wash of waters on the sand She
had not taken many steps before she
stumbled over some dark, crouching object.
Reaching down her hand she felt the coarse
wiry name Of the princess.
Bob
There was no reply.
Bob. I've been looking for you; come
Go way
Nonsense, Bob. want you to stay with
me tonight. Come
.'Injin sguaw no good for waugee woman.
Go way"
Listen, Bob. You are the daughter of
chief: SO am l. Your father has many war
riors; SO has mine. 1t is good that you stay
with me. Come
The princess chuckled and suffered her.
self to be lifted up. A few moments later
and they re-entered the hut, hand in hand.
With the first red streaks of dawn the
next day the erect Barker touched his hat
at the door of the hut. Beside him stood
the hermit, also just arisen from his blank
eted nest in the sand. Forth from his hut
fresh as the morning air. stepped Miss Port
fire, leading the princess by the hand
Hand III hand also they walked to the
shore, and when the princess had been
safely bestowed in the stern sheets, Miss
Porttire turned and held out her own to
her late host.
IL shall take the best care of her of
course. You will come and see her often.
l should ask you to come and see me. but
you are hermit, you know, and all that |
sort of thing. But If it's the correct an
chorite thing, and can be done, my father |
will be glad to requite You for this nights |
But don't do anything on my |
account that interferes with youl simple |
habits. Good bye
Good bye"
The sail was hoisted, and the boat showed |
off. As the fresh morning breeze caught |
the canvas, it seemed to bow parting salu-
tatiOn. There was a rosy flush of promise |
on the water, and as the light craft darted |
forward toward the ascending sum- it seemed
FOR moment uplifted in its glory.
Miss POrttire kept her word. If thought
full care and intelligent kindness could re-
generate the princess, her future was secure.
And it really seemed as if she were for the
irst time inclined to heed the lessons of
civilization, and profit by her new condi-
ion. An agreeable change was first no.
iced in her appearance. Her lawless hair
vas caught in a net, and no longer strayed
over her low forehead. Her unstable bust
was stayed and upheld by French corsets;
ler plantigrade shuttle was limited by
leeled boots. Her dresses were neat and
lass beads. With improvement there also
seemed some moral awakening. She no
onger stole nor lied. With the possession
II personal property came a respect for
hat of others. With increased dependence
III the word of those about her came
thoughtful consideration of her own. In
ellectually she was still feeble, though she
,rappled sturdily with the simple lessons
which Miss Portfire set before her. But her
zeal and simple vanity outran her discretion,
md she would often sit for hours with an
open book before her which she could not
cad. She was favOrite with the officers
If the fort, from the major, who shared his
daughters prejudice, and often yielded to
Ter powerful self-will, to the subalterns, who
liked her none the less that their natural
nemies, the frontier volunteers, had de-
Jared war against her helpless sisterhood.
The only restraint put upon her was the
imitation of her liberty to the enclosure of
he fort and parade: and only once did she
freak this parole, and was stopped by sell
ny as she got into boat at the landing.
The rccluse did not avail himself of Miss
oortfire's invitation, but after the depar-
IRE of the princess he spent less of his
ime III the hut, and was more frequently
cen in the distant marshes of Eel river,
md Oh the upland hills. A feverish rest
essness, quite opposed to his usual phlegm,
ed him into singular freaks, strangely in