Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-07-12

that had to ride over every day myself
to have them look decpntly. { =
Why not 2" 1 asked in some surprise.
Why not? Is this q Jest, or is it pos
4 sible you do not know? But you must,
and It is neither courteous nor kind in you
| to ask"
leaned over and let my hand touch
hers. Lulur-I got this out with con-
] siderable difficulty- =" implore you tell
me what is the mystery in your life. You
shudder to hear your own name. You
i've In a continual state of restlessness, as
though you feared some evil was about to
fall and crush you. Surely have right
to ask this, and if you have any regard for
so haunts you." 49,
was steady" this is the extremity of
rudeness. had thought that at least
you re--re-respected me. Oh! Oh!
ohl' and to my horror she put her little
head down and began to cry bitterly. ~
Lului Lulu !nJI cried. L was utterly
| unconscious then of what was doing.
Now, by JOve, recOllect every little cir
cumstance. You must not weep, dear
est.'' .s'eas0} ~ hi b.4-i id11'3 is'.
81" Leave me, sir, instantlylr She stood
up and looked me full in the face. In
stantly !" she repeated. - tss,g 8 -
I remember now that I did not notice
any of that redness of the eyes which is
the usual result Of weeping. 1t escaped
my observation at the time. " "Not,n. L
answered, "until know what / have
done to deserve your unkindness." Now
L thought, or rather 1 think now, that
this remark, accompanied of course BY
an earnest look in the eyes and a tender
and slightly tremulous tone in the voice,
was rather effective. But 1t failed. In
fact it failed out and out. For she quietly
rose, and replied. ''Then i shall be forced
4 t.Jr word she was gone ef b,vis
/ The whole thing was horrid failure.
4 / had held all the cards and played them
like a juvenile plowboy in hay-lofC.
had eheckmate in certain view, and a
single false move had lost it. \. tens
But what could this something" be:
Was she engaged? Impossible! Besides,
that would have made no difference. Per-
4 haps she was awfully in debit Perhaps
4 it was some family trouble-crazy mother
or disreputable father. But what did
\ care for that I.would marry her whole
family. even if they were professional poll
4 ticians. Yes! I was that far gone. had got
to the stage Of thinking of going home al
night to cosy little dinner in tiny little
house, and having soft little hand slid
into mine, and one fair arm slipped round
my neck, and rosy lips kissing me, and q
| beautiful head rested gently on my breast;
and when a man gets into that train Of
: woman, it's a bad lookout for his club
? confounded bad. AsI sat thinking over
, these things and wondering what it could
, be that troubled her so. suddenly though,
! l understood it. had been very polit<
J during the previous winter to a certain
| young lady, and / felt sure that Miss Den
vers had said that was engaged to her.
went over to where she was and asked
/ her to come forward with me. Then
when we got to the bow of the boat,
said in tragedy tones, ssMiss Denvers, j!
it possible thing that you told Miss MAY
narri / was engaged to that stupid Mis-
! llSo-and-SO?"
'swhy, Mr.. Smith, how can you talk 50
I dare say l did. I certainly thought YOU
were, and everybody says So" 90.
, zs'sItis not so. I detest the woman. Sh'
can't tell rvalse from q galop; besides
she's horridly-"s tsr .I,ay - ~
s.Rich," said Miss Denvers quietly, =
A Sand you think l care for her money
That is quite enough, Miss Denvers; ant
:, 4 \
e oize. Buff you care to have my poor re
ID gard, you will be good enough to correc
Q the false impression you have create,
amongst your acquaintanees." Then !,
0 took her back.
e When I got back to my own quarters
, 4 thought it all over and determined &,
A make the plunge the next night. Let M
tell you that this sort Of thing, especiall.
Q 1.-THE frat time. is hard work and not to b
g Il made an estimate and fount, I shoul,
have to give up my horses, but resolve.
t to do it and felt like cid Cranmer wit
' his red-hot iron hand, or one Of thos
q famous gentlemen who committed suicid
s by obstinacy. Inplayed billiards all tn
next morning, and felt like asking ever
y man knew whether he was aware of m
Z intentions. 1 dined alone, smoker alon
z all the afternoon, and when night came
went to the cottage.
'A1oi She was very kind. The old gentle
e man had not returned, the old lady wa
y asleep, and Miss Danvers, who was
e trifle frigid after the yesterdays affair
begged me to excuse her as che was force
/, TO pay q call upon departing friend.
q managed to survive the blow, and In fac
Is found it hard to prevent myself from Say
ing, "God bless your to the man VIII
came to take her. Luck was with me,
4 felt, and yet for some reason did nj
4 feel able to take advantage of it and q
], what wanted to-. leaned on the maj
4 tel and looked at her until I was ashame
of myself. p Something was the matte
d with my voice It was husky as that (
Of an old and asthmatic raven. At last pr,
ID posed we should walk on the beach. ST
" consented, and we strolled down t0waT
I the lighthouse. IT'S quite astonishing
r the effect Of the ocean and moonlight
D. bronchial affections. Ny throat recoyere
Tat once, and talked as fuently as Ralp
ID Waldo Emerson. What did we tai
Il about? Books, men, poetry, music
y everything, in Q circle that was ever ma
OF rowing down to ourselves. And thir
ID both were conscious Of the inevitab
Do ending our talk was to have. At last
7e began: .,its "A. no . .hnss7a.
to "Miss Maynard" land this time she
20 not start at the sound Of her name),
{. have made resolve so startling that q
., sure you would like to hear what 1t Is. !"
ye About yoursef?" ''9io'4i - e
or SsYeain arfn-rrt-r,f -E.4r e-sIr.ra ~ j