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

!" You know am almost one of the fam
| lily here. and it is q lite impossible for you
to treat me as a stranger" Fora moment
she hesitated in her reply, and then lifted
those magnificent eyes to my face as she
SAID, " shall be very happy; only, Mr..
/ SMITH with a charming lingering ac-
cent on my name, which, thank Heaven,
is not Smithl, /" L am somewhat afraid Of
1 you. II am so young, and this Is my
| first summer season. Is It quite right for
| me to accept? ?" assured her that it was
entirely correct. and referred her to her
friend as authority. "And wouldn't she
tell me why she was afraid of me?" But
no. She only blushed and laugheda little,
and said it was quite impossible to tell me
now, though perhaps" gathering up
her gloves and fan as she spoke, "she
might one of these days." As l offered
nv arm and we walked through the rooms
into the hall and thence to the piazza,
never felt 50 happy in all my life. We
1 happened to pass full-length mirror in
the hall, and l started to see how lovely
she was and / must say ] suited her
not that 1 have any vanity, you know,
but we accorded, as musical people say. :
sDo you know" I said, as we stood
listening to the surf rolling heavily. in,
:. that to me a night like this seems to
speak directly and with authority of that
| first great Cause whose messenger it isl''
lThe above was the opening in slight
ly inverted form of one of my recently
composed essays.
I gThen you do not believe in the theory
of Descartes?" yr.,.. = (
~Certainly not" fearlessly responded.
(By the way, what is Descartes' theory?
meant to have found out but somehow
EYou speak decidedly. And oh. that
could do so too! But the beautiful ex-
preston of human faith, Our Father is
| to me incomprehensible."
| felt myself going. Ten minutes more
and should be overwhelmed in theology
and exhibiting my ignorance in fright
full way. So | answered quite sternly,
"You should not think Of these things.
Life is TOO beautiful te be wasted in idle
pleasure, but it is quite as bad to fret and
mar it with useless sophisms or wearf-
some strivings after light denied US by
Infinite wisdom, All, Miss Maynard (she
started. for suppose that inyoluntarily |
had spoken her name tenderly) i have
! seen SO many lives, the purest and noblest
Lives, those which should have been the
lhappiest. darkene,i and perhaps made
miserable in this wayl shall be sad in-
deed if YOU suffer yours to be shipwrecked
aYou are very Kind. tits very pleasant
to have you talk to me earnestly and frank
Iy. L had. not thought that men often
| spoke so to women" 49,. -.-..y..-.-
i, ''I hardly think they do, unless they
particularly like the woman. beg your
pardon ~ added, as something in her
face told me / had said too much, "but
l. %Io< + hoxxo ri cr
much of you from Miss lDenvers, you
know, that find myself talking to you as
II + had-and in truth Ihave-known you
for long time" .A
s'Do you talk so to Miss Denverspn said
she with shadow of smile lurking In
J the corners of her mouth.
4 o 81 feel t6at,I might without ,rudeness
4 If / could truthfully. - The smile wan
II dered about, until it nearly lost itself il
her dimples, and then deepened into
n'slfy II cannSt a handle the foils with you
! YOU are too clever, and I suppose ought
j 70 be angry with you; but then 1 am not
so 1 won't pretend to be-" s..s,v. .--r,,
T. ssYou ought not to be angry, and ther
] pretense would do no good. fancy yot
, are rather honeet."S - isdT frg 15gs-
ssYes! hate dishonest people" ,r,
ssDo you know think, tricky people
and people who can't sget mad,' are thu
most despicable of human creatures" |.
/, "Dog You ever get mad Q gentl
NDo I? Yes, it was not very long ag,
i that your faithful knight overstepped tn
: boundso of all lpoliteness and nearly tore
down the very e roof under which westan''
what N the world was he doing !
: for pm zu.ti7assN sbs " saS efs s3fF !.
+ ''He was defending his fair nam
! against q cruel SANDER" -. .-.,.--s
i fsAnd who was the wretch, and wha
{ the accusation ?,',g sa4aS - .'.ssssE ~
4 1.-THE name, o Queen, must not b
spoken, but the accusation was that wa
) GA firt p, she turned on me quickl
8 and indignantly $50 you are q flirt p's
!. Before heaven! / deny it, Miss, MAJ
{ Again she started ~ eas as ssdta =
! sDo YOU know,'' she said, after littl
pause, Il believe you. \ have met yer
few &C gsntlesmen,a las maaa but Lam am sure you AZ
{ al thank you more truly than you
= perhaps, can understand for your trust
T me-. Ishal never, never betray 1t, Mis-
4 SHush You mustn't call me Miss
It Miss Maynafd.r isAsssq ~ bo,asss stFu-
n May Icall youTnl.sip rsaz ,ss94 !,
Q "No, sir, caH me nothing. It is COLI
: let US go in. Your arm, SIR" with an In
|. perious gesture. 'gIT slssG
: l wss q little provoked, so we Wake
hack In silence, and for the remainder ,
: the evening devoted myself to the oil
) lady in whose hands my temper gre
J, worn so rapidly that when rose to 20
d was furious, and only offered old Ma.
, lnard my horses because knew Miss Del
IS vers would never forgive me n didn't.
oil But the next day drove her out, an
Is she was gcntleness itself, with the so
b grace Of her delicate gravity dashed ever
It now and then with gayety that did n,
y fancy she possessed, and which bubble
1t up out of her own soul with no assistan,
IS from my poor wit---.And- altar that Y
,tl met often. On the whole, I incline
of think rather too often. n She received I
n visitors and lived in great retiremen
,s Mr.. Maynard WIS absent for some tim
I, so that 4 naturally ewas at the Gotta,
. y .xarx, 1a- ond oInoaf aIuUaua 40 M H.