New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-07-05

sion the intensest curiosity. Two or three
| of the latter set spies upon bis track, but
| the inquisition resulted only IL the dlscov-
| cry that Mr.. Oakhurst walked to the plaza,
! sat down upon one particular bench tor a
| few moments, and then returned without
| seeing anybody, and the theory that there
| was q woman in the case was abandoned.
A few superstitiOus gentlemen of his own
profession believed that he did it for
| sluck." Some others, more practical, de.
clared that he went out to study points ,"
After the races at Marysvine, Mr.. Oak
hurst went to San Francisco; from that
place he returned to Marysvllle, but few
days after was seen at San Jose, Santa Cruz
! and Oakland. Those who met him declared
| that his manner was restless and feverlsh,
and quite unlike his ordinary calmness and
phlegm. Colsnel Starbottle pointed out the
! fact that at San Francisco at the club, Jack
had declined to deal. Hand shaky, cir
depend upon it; don't stimulate enough
| blank him.
From San Jose he started to 60 to Oregon
by land with a rather expensive outfit Of
| horses and camp equipage, but on reaching
Stockton he suddenly diverged, and four
hours later found him with single horse
entering the canon OF the San Isabel Warm
| Sulphur Springs.
1t was a pretty triangular valley lying at
! the foot of three slopirg mountains, dark
with pines and fantastic with madrona and
manzanita. Nesting against the mountain
side, the struggling buildings and long pisz
! "a OF the hotel glittered through the leaves,
! and here and there shone white toy-like
| cottage. Mr.. Oakhurst was not an admirer
of nature, but he felt something Of the same
novel satisfaction in the view that he ex-
! perienced in his first morning walk in Sacra-
mento. And now carriages began to pass
him on the road filed with gayly dressed
women, and the cold, California outlines of
the landscape began to take upon them
| selves somewhat of a human warmth and
, color. And then the long hotel piazza came
! in view, efi1orescent with the full-toileted
tair. Mr. Oakhurst, good rider, after the
! California fashion, did not check his speed
charged the hotel at gallop, threw his
horse on his launches within foot Of the,
, piazza, and then quietly emerged from the
| cloud of dust that yelled bis Gismounring.
Whatever feverish excitement might have
! ragged within, all his habitual calm re-
turned as he stepped upon the piazza. With
the instinct of long habit he turned and
cold Indifference with which he had for
years encountered the half hidden sneers OF
men and the half frightened admiration Of
women. Only one person stepped forward
to welcome him. Oddly enough, it was
Dick Hamilton, perhaps the only one pres
ent who, by birth, education and position,
might have satisfied the most tastidiOus
social critic. Happily cor Mr.. Oakhurst's
reputation, he was also very rich banker
and social leader. "Do you know who that
is you spoke toy asked young Parker, with
an alarmed expression. Yes replied
Hamilton, with characteristic effrontery
1.-The man you lost thousand dollars to last
week. only know him socially" ''Bu5
isn't he gambler p quer.ed the youngest
Miss Smith. HE is replied Hamilton,
"but wish, my dear young lady. that we
all played as open and honest a game as
our friend yonder, and were as willing as
he is to abide by its fortunes"
But Mr.. Oakhurst was happily out of
hearing Of this colloquy, and was even then
lounging, listlessly yet watchfullv, along
the upper hall. Suddenly he heard light
foorstep behind him, and then his name
called in familiar voice that drew the
blood quickly to his heart. He turned, and
she stood before him.
to describe the hollow-eyed eripple-the
quantity dressed artisans wife. few pages
ago-what shall l DO with this graceful
shapely, elegantly .attired gentlewoman
into whom she has been merged within
these two months! In good faith she was
very pretty. You and /, my dear madam,
would have been quick to see that those
cnarulnS OIMpieS were misplaced LOT true
beauty, and too fixed II their quality for
honest mirthfulness, that the delicate lines
around these aquiline nostrils were cruel
and selfish, that the sweet virginia. surprise
of these lovely eyes were as apt to be open
ed on her plate as upon the gallant speeches
of her dinner partner, that her sympathetic
color came and went more with her own
spirits than yours. But you and are not
in love with her, dear madam, and Mr..
n1r yI in bn fol a Of hnr
Partisan gown l am afraid this poor fellow
saw the same subtle strokes of purity that
he lad seen in her homespun robe. And
then there was the delightful revelation
that she could walk, and that she had dear
little feet OF her own in the tiniest slippers
OF her French shoemaker-with such pre-
posterous blue bows, and Chappel's own
stamp, Rue de something or other, Paris,
on the narrow sole.
He ran toward her with heightened
color ard OutstretcLed hands. But she
whipped her own behind her, glanced rap
idly up and down the long hall, and stood
looking at him with a half audacious, half
mischevous admiration in utter contrast to
her old reserve.
'.I've a great mind not to shake hands
with you. at all. You passed me just now
on the piazza without speaking, and l ran
after you, as 1 suppose many another poor
Mr.. Oakhurst stammered that she was so
changed.
The more reason why you should know
me. Who changed NE! You. You have
recreated me. You found helpless, Grip
pied, sick, poverty stricken woman, with
ore dress to her back, and that her own
make, and you gave her life, health,
strength and fortune. You did, and you
know it, sir How do you like your workE"
H. az o T.,
either hand and dropped him a playful
courtesy. Then, with a sudden, relentjng
gesture, she gave him both her hands.
Outrageous as this speech was, and un-
feminine. as trust every fair reader will
deem it, fear it pleased Mr.. Oakhurst. Not
but that he was accustomed to certain
frank female admiration; but then it was
of the conHsses and not of the cloister, with
which he always persisted in associating
Mrs. Decker. To be addressed in this way
BIZ an invalid Puritan, a sick saint, with
the austerity of suffering still clothing her:
woman who had Bible on the dressing
table, who went to church three times day
and was devoted to her husband, completely
bOwled him over. He still held her hands
as she went on:
why didn't you come before! What
were you doing in Marysville in San Jose,
in Oakland! You see / have followed you.
1 saw you dS you CAME OONu inc CduUu, anu
knew you at once. saw your letter to Jo
seph, and knew you were coming Why
didn't you write to me9 You will some timer
Good evening, Mr.. Hamilton"
She had withdrawn her hands, but not
until Hamilton, ascending the staircase,
was nearly abreast Of them. He raised his
hat to her with well bred composure, nod
ded familiarly to Oakhurst and passed on
When he had gone Mrs. Decker lifted her
eyes to Mr.. Oak.urst. ''Some day shall