New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-10-18

l dent Selves even WDli6 OOiDRs III THO tualn
a. others do! know two who ara so; but
| they are married."
"The men who admire cheese bold. dash
ing young girls treat them like weaker cop
! les Of themselves. And yet they boast o
| what they call experienced
Il wonder if any one felt tho exquisite
beauty of the noon as did to-day! A fain
| appreciation of sunsets and storms IL taugh
| us in youth, and kept alive by novels anG
| firtations; but the broad. imperial splendol
of this summer noon!-and myself standing
| alone in it-yes. utterly alODe.'
| "The men seek must exist: where are
| they! How make an acquaintance. wher
! one ObsequiOusly bows himself away as
I advances! The fault 10 surely not all on my
| side.'
| There was much more, Intimate enough
l to inspire me with keen interest in the
| writer, yet not sufficiently 30 to make my
perusal a painful indiscretion. yielded to
| the impulse of the moment. took out my
pencil and wgote dozen lines on one OF the
| blank pages. They san something in this
wise:
"Ignotus jgnofr-Y.a have bestowed
without intending it and have taken with.
out your knowledge. DO not regret the
accident which has enriched another. This
| concealed ldyi of the hills was mine, rs
supposed. but ! acknowledge your equal
right to it. Shall we share the possession.
or will you Danish met"
There was frank advance. tempered by
a proper caution, fanced. in the words !
wrote. 1t was evident that che was unmar.
yied, but outside Of that certainty there lay
q vast range of possibilities, some OF them
alarming enough. However. it any nearer
acquaintance should arise out of the Incl.
dent the next step must be taken by her.
Was l one of the men she sought almost
imagined sO-certainly hoped so.
laid the book on the rock as had fOun
It and bestowed another keen scrutiny on
the ravine. That evening I went early to
the ladies' parlOr, chatted more than usual
with the various damsels whom ! knew,
and watched with q new interest those
whom knew not. My mind, involuntarily.
had already created picture Of the pn'
known. She might be twenty five, ! thought;
q reflective habit would hardly be developed
before that age. Tall and stately, of course:
distinctly proud in her bearing and some.
what reserved in her manners. Why she
should have large black eyes, with long
dark lashes. could not tell: but 80 I seemed
TO zee her. Quite forgetting that was for
had meant tO bel IgNotus. found myself
staring rather significantly at one or the
other Of the young ladies. in whom I dis.
covered some slight general resemblance to
must confess, played strange pranks with
me. They had been kept in u coop 80 many
years that now. when | suddenly turned
them loose. their rickety attempts at flight
quite bewildered me.
Nc: there was no use in expecting \
sudden discovery. l went to the glen be.
times, next morning; the book was gone.
and SO were the faded flowers. but some Of
the latter were scattered over the top of
g., de- ~
this means that am not to withdraw, l
said to myself; che makes room for me !!
But how to surprise 3her! for by this time
was fully resolved TO make her acquaint.
ance, even though she might turn out to be
forty, scraggy and sandy-haired.
knew no other way so likely us that of
visiting the glen at all times of the day.
even went go far as to write line of greet.
ing, with q regret that our visits had not
the top of her rock. The note disappeared,
but there was no answer in its place. Then
I suddenly remembered her tOndness for
the noon hours. at which time she was cut.
tcrly alone" The hotel table d. hotc was at
one o'clock: her family, doubtless, dined
later. in their own rooms. Why, this gave
me, at least, her place in society. The
question of age, to be sure. remained un.
settled; but all else was safe.
The next day J took late and large
breakfast. and sacrificed my dinner. Be.
to the hotel from glen and grove and lane.
SO bright and hot was the sunshine. ln-
deed. could hardly have supported the
of the heat from the sides Of
the raviae. but for fixed belief that I
should be successful. While crossing the
n arrow meadow upon which it opened.
caught glimpse OF something white among
I Ie shickets higher up. A moment later it
had vanished, and j luickened INV pace.
feeling the beginning OF an absurd nervous
excitement in my limbs. At the next turn
there it was again: but only for another
I paused. exulting. and wiped
nay frenchcd forehead. "She can not es.
cape me-" mu1muyed between the deep
draughts of cooler air inhaled in the
shadow Of = rock.
4 few hundred steps more brought me 70
the foOs OF . steep ascent, where / had
counted on oyertaking her: was too late
been crumbled and disiodsed here and
there by . rapid foot. ! followed in reck.
less haste. snatchins at the laurel branches
and paying little heed to my footing. About
Dne-fhlrI of tho way up ! slipped, fell.
caught q bush which snapped at the root.
slid. whirled over. and before fairly knew
what had happened was'lying doubled up
~ inc bOtlOin Oh the SlOpos
lrose. made two steps forward. and then
tat down with q grOau OF pain: my left
Aneie was badly sprained. in addition to
VariOua minor scratches and bruises. There
Was u yevulsion Of feeling. Of eourse---in.
slant. complete and hideous. I fairly hated
The Unknown. "FOoI that I war; ex.
claimed in theatrical manner. dashing the
palm Of thy hand softly against my brow:
'lured to this by the fsir traitress! But
lo.-nos fair. She shows the artfulness OF
AIDED. desperate spinsteehood: she is all q
compact of enamel. liquid bloom Of youth |
md hair dye"
There was fierce comfort in this thought,
.ut II couldn't help mc ont Of the scrape.
dared not sit still. lest o sunstrOke should
De added. and there was no resource but to |
aop or Draw! down the rugged path, In the |
hope OF finding q forked sapling from which /
could extempOrize crutch. With end. !
ess pain and trouble reached thicket.
md was feebly working on branch with !
ny penknlfe. when the sound Of heavy !
ootstep surprised me.
h.rt s!eeyes. presently appeared. He |
,Tlnned WREN he saw me. and the thick !
nub OF ais nose would have seemed like a |
neer at any other time.
"Are sou the gentleman that got hur:"
se asked. is ispretty tolerable ba1!''
''Whc said ] WAS Lust!" I cried, ia aston.
sbment.
Zone Of your town women from the no.
ell reckon she was. ! wa. binding oats
. tho field c.sr the Ridge: hut / haven.
)sf 40 SINE in comm le,e.'
While was stupidity s;a,iS. at tai. an.
be whipped Oil, = big eias;.
uife. and in few minutes fashioned me u
cruteh. Then. taking III. b.
le other ay:S Re &c. ne in E.o::oa toward
Ia village.
Grateful as ! ~.s 10. ~. mans f;e!c. ne
:gsavste1 me by his ignorance. Wien /!
x ei is he knew the iady. lie answered:
I