The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-03-15
SATURDAY, MARCH

nope you nave HOGHiIy uttHSeIOuS
down in your countryf' | relnem-
bered only my granddayghters, and
that they were great deal too sensi-
bic to take any interest in him. I
never thought OF you at all, child yet
here you are doing the mischief, be-
ing neither wise for your own inter-
ests, nor generous in locking to his.
You have ruined him SO completely
that he is gone to refuse an offer which
would have given him fame and for
tune had you not been in the way.n
"What is that offer ~ asked Lola.
"An expedition is sailing next week
to the North Pole, or somewhere there
abouts. What they are going to do |
am not sure about; but they are sci
entific men, and they have invited
Arthur Gray to be Of tleir party. A
few short weeks ago he would have
looked upon any one who had pre-
vented his accepting this as an enemy.
Now he goes to London to refuse it in
order that he may pin himself to
drudgery and obscurity for life; that
he may live in repining /,eer what you
have forced upon him, he being far
too generous to disappoint YOU"
Lola did not answer n word, but
stood with her face turned away, look
ing into the forest; then slowly turned
away and began walking like sleep
walker towards IN opening in the
trees. Granny looked after her an
grIy, too full Of Arthur's wrongs to
have any pity for the girl whom she
counted his enemy. "An obstinate
monkey" she said to herself, wrath
fully, and lnuttered her why to the
house, while Lola spent two long hours
alone in the forest. Only tho trees,
and the river, and the singing birds
saw her struggle; when she came back
to Granny her face looked gray and
old. IL will join the gentleman to-
night" she said, "and go to Paris with
him."
Now that Granny was triumphant,
Ia new feeling of pity CAME into hel
heart. But she knew she had done
her duty, and that Lola was behaving
well. She patted the girl on the
shoulder, and sent her home to pack
up her things, and made vague prom
| ises in her own mind that something
good must certainly done for Lola.
When Gray came back from Lon
don there was no Lola in the forest
country, ,and Granny explained to him
how prudeDtly the girl had acted.
You could not expect Of her that
she would not seize good offer when
it presented ITSELF" she said. cit is
very well for men when wonlen are
found with q little common sense
She will have advantages in Paris
and will mike q good marriage. Lola
is wise girl, and as for you, you will
get over it,
Certainly" said Arthur, ~ will
not interfere with any wo,nap's pros.
pects."
And then he also went alone into
the forest, and complained that the
world had never seen q faithful wom-
an. The birds sang again, and a smile
curled the edges of the leaves Of the
trees, but not thing limited to him
of Lola's sacrifice. That night he was
again in London, and the next day he
s1iled with the expedition. As he
looked over the ships side, ambitious
hopes rose III his heart, and snbdued
the pain that would have fingered
still. The sea-foam gathered over the
past Of q few months. The sun of the
old world set brilliantly upon what lay
behind him; summer dream, 1nt
mists. dancing trees, sunny idleness
chiltlren's voices, and a woman's face
framed in the purple shadow among
leaves.