New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-05-03

single moment, that can tolerate you until
then-eh9 Why don't you speak Are you ,,
ssleepi You don't mean to say that you
have the audacity to add somnambulism to
vour other weaknesses2 You're not low
enough to repeat yourself under any such
weak pretext a. thst-eh!
a 81 of nervous coughing ended this ex-
traordinary exordium, and, half sitting, half
leaning against the versnda, Mr.. McCloskys
guest turned his face and part Of slight,
elegant figure toward his host The lower
norton Of his upturned face wore an habit
nal expression of fastidiOus discomfort.
with an occasional line of physical suffer
ing. But the brow above was frank and
critical, and pair of dark, mirthful eyes
sat in playful Judgment over the super
sensitive mouth and its suggestion.
II allowed to 60 to bed, Ridgeway," said
Mr.. McClosky. meekly, "but my girl
Jinny's iist got back from little tear up at
Robinson's, and amt inclined to turn in
vet You know what girls is. So
thought we three would jist have social
chat together and pass away the time"
"You mendacious old hypocrite she got
back an hour ago." said Ridgeway, ''as
that savage looking escort Of hers, who has
been haunting the house ever since, can
testify. My belief is, that like an enterpris-
ing idiot, as you are, you've dragged that
girl OUG OF OcE Ucu tudU Wo ullSut
bore each other"
Mr.. McClosky was too much stunned by
this evidence of Ridgeway's apparently
superhuman penetration to reply. After
ENJOYING his hosts confusion for moment
with his eyes, Ridgeway's mouth asked
grimly:
"And who is this girl, any way9'
''Nancy's."
"Your wife'sl"
Eyes. But look var, Ridgeway," said Nc
Closky, laying one hand implOringly on
Ridgeway's sleeve, mot a word about her
to jimmy. She thinks her mothers dead
died III Missouri. Ehv'
Ridgeway nearly rolled from tie veranda
in an excess of rage. "GOod God! Do yOn
mean to say that you have been concealing
from her fact that, any day, any moment,
may come to her ears? That you've been
letting her grow up in ignorance of some
thing that by this time she might have out
grown and forgottens That you have been,
like besotted old ass, all these years SLOW
ly forging thunderbolt that any one may
crush her withl That"--but here Ridge
ways cough took possession of his voice,
and even put moisture into he dark eyes.
as he looked at McClosky's aimless hand
feebly employed upon his beard.
But" said McClosky, "look how she's
done. She's held her head as high as any
OF en-. one b 10 Ut uATTlcu III D MOuUu W
the richest man in the country; and" he
added, cunningly, 'Jack Asne amt the
kind O. man to sit by and hear anything
said of his wife or her relations. you bet.
But hush, that's her foot on the stairs.
She's cummin,"
She came. don't think the French win
dow ever held finer view than when she
put aside the curtains and stepped out.
She had dressed herself simply and hur
riedly, but with . woman's knowledge Of
her best points, so that you got the long
curves Of her round waist and shOaldars,
the long sweep of her yellow brsids, the
light OF her blue eyes, and even the delicate
rose of her com plexion, without knowing
how it was delivered to yen.
The introduction by Mr.. McClosky was
brief When Ridgeway had got over the
fact that it was two o'clock 10 the morEing,
and that the cheek of this T0ulumAe god
dess nearest to him was as dewy and fresh
as an infant's-that she locked like Margue-
rite. without pro OaOly ever having heard
of GeOthe's herOine-he talked, dare say,
very sensibly. When Miss Jenny, who
from childhood had been brought up among
the sons Of Anak, and who was accustomed
to have the supremacy Of our noble sex
presented to her as physical fact, found
herself in the presence of new and strange
power, in the slight and elegant figure be-
side her, she was at first frightened and
cold. But, finding that this power, against
which the weapons Of her own ply steal
charms were of no avail, was kindly one,
albeit general, she fell to worshiping it,,
after the fashion of woman, and casting
before it the fetiches and other idols of her
youth She even confessed to it. So that,
in half an hour, Ridgeway was in posses
sion of all the facts connected with her life,
and great many, fear, of her fancies--
except one When Mr.. McClosky found
he calmly went to sleep.
1t was pleasant time to each. To Miss
Jenny it had the charm of novelty; and she
abandoned herself to it, for the reason,
much more freely and innocently than her
companion, who knew something more of
the inevitable logic Of the position. do
not think, however, he had any intention of
love making. do not think he was at all
conscious Of being in the attitude. am
quite positive he would glave shrunk from
the suggestion of disloyalty to the one wO-
man whom he admitted to himself he loved.
But, like most poets, he was much more
true to an idea than fact; and, having a
lofty conception Of w0manhOOd, with very
sanguine, nature, he saw in each new face
the possibilities of realization of his ideal.
1t was, perhaps, an unfortunate thing
for the wOman-particularly as he
brought to each trial surprising fresh
hess which was very deceptive. and
quite distinct from the blase famil-
iarity of the man of gallantry. 1t was this
perennial virginity of the affections that
were prone to exercise toward him chival
rous protection-as Of one likely to 60
astray unless looked after-and indulge in
the dangerous combination OF sentiment
with the highest maternal instincts. 1t
was this quality which caused Jenny
to recognize in him certain boyishness
that required her womanly care, and
even induced her to offer to accompany
him to the crossroads when the time of his
departure arrived. With her superior know
ledge of woodcraft and the locality, she
would have kept him from being lost. l
wot not but that she would have protected
him from bears or wolves, but chiefly, /
think, from the feline destinations Of Name
Robinson and Lucy Rance, who might be
lying in wait for this tender young poet.
Nor did she cease to be thankful that
Providence had, SO to speak, delivered him
as a trust into her hands.
1t was lonely night. The moon swung
low and languished softly on the snowy
ridge beyond There were quaint odors in
the still air, and q strange incense from the
woods perfumed their young blood and
seemed to swoon in their pulses. Small
wonder that they fingered on the white
road; that their feet climbed unwillingly the
little hill where they were to part, and that
when they at last reached it even the saving
grace Of speech seemed to have forsaken
them.
For there they stood alone. There was
no sound or motion in earth, or woods, or
heaven. They might have been the one
man and woman tor whom this goodly
earth, that lay at their feet trimmed with
the deepest azure, was created. And seeing
this they turned toward each other with q
sudden instinct, and their hands met, and