New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-10-31

| DO understand you to refuse this hand
some offer, Rachel" -I[ :
II must"
IAN right. Then shall certainly coun
upon your being with me, for it would b,
foolish not to come, and Whatever YOU are
Rachel, you're not foolish. I'm going I,
talk with your mother about it. Why, yor
little-chipmunk," cried Mrs. Farrell add
ing the term of endearment after some hes
tation for the precise expression, II wan
things are on exhibition at Williams snG
Everetts, and Doll and Richards, I'm
going to gather q few small spears o.
glory for myself by slyly telling round
that gave you your first instruction
and kept you from blushing unseen IL
West Pekin. I've felt the want of pro
made to my hand. 1 heard before i came
away that they were going to get up life
class next winter. Perhaps we could get q
chance to join that"
Life class!"
Yes; to draw from the nude, you know. .
From the"-Rachel hesitated.
Eyes, yes, yes! my wildwood flower
From the human being, the fellow. creature,
with as little on as possible" shouted Mrs.
Farrell. How can you learn the figure
any other wsy3"
A puzzled, painful look came into the
girls eyes. and "Do-do-ladies go9' she
| asked family.
'Of course they co." said Mrs. Farrell.
"Its regular part of art.education. The
ladies have separate classes in New York,
but they don't abroad"
| Rachel seemed to be at lose what to
answer. She dropped her eyes under Mrs
Farrells scrutiny, and softly plucked at
a tuft of grass At last che said, with.
out looking up, ut wouldn't 10 neoes
| animals"
"Well, and aren't men animals1n de-
manded Mrs. Farrell, leaning forward and
| trying to turn the girl about 80 Is to look
| into her averted face.
DON'T" said the other in q wounded
| tone.
"Rachel, Rachel!' cried Mrs. Farrell. ten.
DERBY, I've really shocked you, have MT II
Don't be mad at me, my little girl; didn't
invent the life-class, and never went to
one. don't know whether it's exactly nice
or not. i suppose people wouldn't do it if
| It wasn't. Come, look round at me, Rachel;
I'm so glad Of your liking me that if you
stop it for half q second you'll break my
heart" She spoke in tones of anxious ap-
peal, and then suddenly added, "If you'll
visit me this winter we won't 60 to the life
class; we'll sleep together in the parlor and
keep COW in the back room"
Rachel gave way to laugh, with her
face hidden in her hands, and Mrs. Far
rell fell back, satisfied, against her comfort
able rock again, and put her hand in her
pocket. Look here, Rachel" she said,
drawing it out, "here's something of you're. j"
She tossed crisp, rafting ten dollar note
into the girls lap, and nodded as Rachel
turned face of question upon her. II sold
your Blossom for that this morning; for
got to tell you before. No, ma am; l didn't
buy it.. Mrs. Gilbert bought it. The others
pI aised it, Mrs. Gilbert paid for it: that's
trll L1.. L
you, and how you owed everything to nv
instruction and she offered $40 for Blossom.
tried to beat her down to fve,p she con-
tinued, while Rachel stared dumbly at the
money, but it was no use. She wouldn't
fall cent. She-Ugh! what's that %
cried Mrs. Farrell.
She gathered her dispersed pictures que
around, and confronted mild faced
COW, placidly, pausing. twenty PAGES off
under the Dough of tree, through
which she had advanced her visage, and
seftly regarding them with her gentle
brown eyes. why Blossom, Blossom !"
complained the lady. How could you
come up in that startling wayl l thought
less dramatically, II might have remem-
bered that there isn't man within hun
bred miles"
She was about to lean back again in her
lazy posture, when voices made themselves
heard from the wood beside the pasture,
out of which Blossom had emerged. MEMS
voices, Rachel' she whispered. IAN ad-
venture! l suppose we must run away
from itw
Mrs. Farrell struggled up from her sitting
posture, and, entangling her foot in her
skirt, plunged forward with graceful awk-
wardness, but did not fall. S6e.ca1ght the
pins out of her drapery, and Rachel and
she were well on their way to the bars
which would let them into the road, when
two men emerged from the birch thicket out
OF which Blossom had appeared. One was
tall and dark, with firm, very dark mus
tache branching across q full beard. The
other was fair man, wi tn a delicate face;
he was slight of frame, and of the middle
stature; in his whole bearing there was an
expression of tacit resolution, which had
also touch of an inaetinable something
that one might call fanaticism. Both were
city clad, but very simple and fifty for far
ing through woods SDd fields; the dark
man wore high boots, he carried Q troutinR
rod, and at his side was a fish-basket.
They looked after the two women, with
eyes that clung charmed to the figure of
Mrs. Farrell, as she drifted down the slop-
ing meadOw.path.
Magnificent |" said the dark man, care
lessly. "'A daughter Of the gods, divinely
tall and most divinely fair!'"
A flush came over the cheek of the other,
but he said nothing, while he absently adj.
vsnced to the rock beside which the women
had been sitting, as if that superb shape
had drawn him thus far after her. A little
book lay there, which he touched with his
foot before he saw It. As he stopped to pick
it up, Mrs. Farrell stopped feetly, as deer
stops, and wheeling round went rapidly back
toward the two men. When Mrs Farrell
advanced upon you, you had a sense OF lus-
trous brown eyes growing and Frightening
out of space, and then you knew of the airy
looseness OF the over Hanging hair. and Of
the perfection of the face, and last of the
sweeping, undulant grace of the divine
inquire. SO she came onward now, fixing
her unfrightened, steadfast eyes upon the
young man, out of whose face went every
thing but worship. He took off his hat,
and bent forward with bow, offering the
pretty volume ct which he had hardly
glanced.
"Tbanks," she breathed, and for an in
slant she relaxed the severe impereon slitv
Of her regard, and flooded him with q look
He stood helpless, while she turned and
swiftly rejoined her companion, and so he
remained standing till she and Rachel had
passed through the meadow bars and out
Of sight. -
Then the dark man moved and said sol.
EMMY, Don't laugh, Easton; You wouldn't
like to be seen through, yourself"
Laugh, Gilbert" retOrted Esston, wish
9 start. "Whst do yon meant What it
Nothing. 1t was superbly done. 1t
was q stroke of genius In it's way"
don't understand yOu," cried Easton.
why, you don't suppose she left it here
on purpose, and meant one of us to pick 1t
uDs SO that she could come back and get II