Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-03-22
ALEXANDRIA, PARISH RAPIDES, La 077 > - I2a7=

swer was handed in to the breakfast-tabl
with other letters:
"MY DEAR MISS MORTON: Your kind moi
OF the 18th is received
"ELKANoR EUsrAcK." !"
That was all. / had sent her a bit {
my heart and she returned a stone. L
my anger tore the dainty little note int
shreds, and cast them into the fire place
My little sister picked out the pieces an
tried putting them together like a dis
sected map. She made out the nam
"Eustace" and announced it triumph
antly.
"Did he want you to elope with hin
before your wedding clothes were done q
asked Haviland Morton, our naval cousin
who stayed with us between voyages. g.
suppose you would sooner give him vi
than do that?"
81 should hope so," said mother
severely, with an eye to the younger
girls. "Secret marriages never turn ou
we'll"
81 am not so certain, saving your pres
ence, auntie," said Haviland. at seems
to me all that girls marry for in these lat
ter days Is the fuss and new dresses. II
would be delightful thought to take to
sea with me that my love and belonged
wholly to each other, and nobody knew
1t. would not have so much as pair
OF white gloves to distract our attention
from the beauty an" glory of the main
fact"
We all made up a face at Havilard's
absurdity, and went to try on my new
dresses.
/ said no more to Mr.. Eustace of his
daughter, thinking all the more and the
wedding-day came like all days, if you
wait long enough. We were married at
noon and Mr.. Eustace drove me in his car
riage the ten miles that lay between my
old home and the new. AS we approach
ed the latter he grew absent and restless.
l knew by a fellow feeling that he was
thinking of his daughter, but would do
nothing to relieve him; he deserved half
an hour of misery.
Eleanor came to meet us as her father
opened the door, girl who might have
sat for Tennyson's Isabel:
the world hath not another
OF such q finished, chastened purity.
My first feeling, as l stepped across the
threshold where another woman had ruled
before me, was a very meek enc. IL that
woman had resembled her daughter, how
could her husband find anything to admire
in me?
"My darling Eleanor" said Mr.. Eus-
tace and paused. 1t is amazing how af-
fectionate people become when i'm dis
tress.
my dearest girl, this is"
nor, holding out her haIid to me with a
faint sweet smile. ''Shall you like to go
to your room first ?''
followed her upstairs, leaving a very
dazed-lOoking husband in the hall below.
In all the appointment of the room saw
the delicacy of Eleanor's taste. "You have
been too good" said, taking up a vase
of tea-roses to hide my embarrassment.
Not at all. You will be my guest,
you know, until you can guide the house
for yourself"
81 will be anything, if you will not
look so terribly resigned. You may
scold me every day for marrying your
father, if you will only like me little at
last"
was in quite little flush Of emotion,
but the ineffable calmness of her manner,
as if she had reduced everything to its
lowest terms and left not superlative in
the world, steadied me in a moment.
81 think l shall like you very WE'LL"
she remarked as she left me. When Mr..
Eustace came up stairs, he was very
happy.
"Oon't you see, Lizzie," he said, show
much better it was to let the thing come to
pass naturally than for me to have scene
with Eleanor beforehand? She had prob
ably heard of the marriage from outside
people,"
IL suppose so," 1 said, allowing Mr..
Eustace to plume himself on bis delusion,
since it amused me and did not hurt him.
Eleanor not only submitted to me, as to
a necessary evil, but to the seven other
spirits worse than myself, in the shape of
my brothers and sisters. who Overran the
house like an inundation, carrying all be-
fore it.
1t never entered their honest heads that
they could be otherwise than heartily
welcome.
They fraternized at once with Hugh
Eustace, and by dint of sheer good-nature
and stupidity they sometimes made a
breach in Eleanor's reserve.
They dragged Haviland i'm their train at
last, to see the oldest girl in the world.
"You will not like her." said "she
Is not at all your sort, but will not
have you tease her,"
''How can you tell what is my sort?
DSSouSO yoo AooCiy yOu ucCu
not take it upon You to know all men by
these presents"
"Eleanor is very silent. You must not
expect her to talk to you."
"Does she never say 'Yes?' with an
mark after it?"
"Never."
"Then take me to her quickly lest be
snatched away before mine eyes have look
ed upon this miracle of women"
Haviland's manner was as perfectly SUBJ
jugated by the yoke of Eleanor's serene
quietness as l could desire.
When we speered" at him for his opin-
ion he prOfessed to be disappointed but
he came every day with an excuse or with
out one and studied her with the eye of
an artist. A faint little flush sometimes
rose to her cheek when she met his gaze.
He was with us one day when my sister
Anne suddenly laid hands on Eleanor's
hair, and with a dexterous turn or two
laid it in loose waves about her head. 1t
was always " Madonna-wise" before.
"You have no idea," said Anne how
lovely you look when your hair is loosen
ed up in this way-more fluffy you
know. Isn't it 80, Haviland ?"
"Excuse me-" said Eleanor, drawing
herself Oontlv hx,f oou,ulofalxy ourov from