Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-12-25
From the Sunny South.
lie GENTLEMAN FROM NEW
! u ORLEANS"
BY AIREE PORTER.


One afternoon Istood leaning against
the ticket Office in the Union Depot,
listlessly watching the hustle, crowds
and trivial incidents attendant upon
the arrival and departure of trains.
As the new arrivals passed by, | noted
those whom | knew to be sufficiently
distinguished to figure. in next days
personals -
All at once, my attention was called
to a couple entering the reception
room. The man was tall. black haired
aud black moustached, had brilliant,
sinister black eyes, fauItless teeth, thin
hands, tapering like lady's was gen.
teel in appearance and graceful in man
ner. The lady was young and beau
tiful girl. hardly seventeen, sunny
blonde, quiet and demure. and evident
ly an uncultivated country girl-a real
child of nature. / made these mental
memoranda as stepped to the door
and saw the man show the. girl nicely
in a seat at the furthest corner Of the
roomx Then he came cdJ tn<uugh the
door into the depot, and as he passed
me spotted" him. TO use detective
slaug word. He had attracted my at
tention, because | thought the moment
saw hin that he was an old acquaInt-
ance--now | knew | was correct. A
slight deformity of his left ear fixed
his identity beyond question, the afore-
said cor having been chewed out of
shape BY bar-room lOafer in Nash
willie in 1872. Mentally. said:
Mr.. Gus DAILY, the Chesterheldian
gambler, / believer
Then, as Gus hair was of geenteel
length, l began to count up how many
months he could have had since turned
loose from the Tennessee penitentiary,
to which Judge Frazier sent him for
a nice little 'bunkoH operation in the
early days Of 1873.
Just then Daily came by me again,
rattling the checks for a couple of
trunks which be had put upon an out
going train. He stepped up to the
window of the ticket Office, and bought
one ticket through to New Orleans. |
thought he should have bought two,
as be had lady with him; but per-
haps he had only been politely as
sisting her off the train, and she was
awaiting friends, who were to call for
her. Doubtless, this was true, for the
West Point train blew its signal and
started, and Gus stepped politely on
board, entering the Pullman sleep
ing coach.
Soon all the trains had pulled out of
the shed, the gates over the tracks
locked, and the place deserted. with
the exception of several porters and
railroad officers. / stood near the re-
ception room door, waiting for friend
who was inside the ticket Office trans
acting some business with the ticket
agent, Suddenly, | saw the girl who
had come in with Gus DAILY step to the
door and look out. She glanced her
eyes hurriedly over the deserted place,
and shrank back with troubled,
frightened expression upon her face.
"What's up now?" [ mused. Her
friends have probably forgotten that
she was to come to the city to-day. or
perhaps they didn't trecognize her when
DAILY escorted her out of the cars"
As these things passed thro' my
mind, I heard low, convulsive sobs
coming from the inside of the reoep-
ton room. | knew that she was cry
ing. and in evident distress. | went
inside and spoke to her:
| My dear young lady, are you in
truble? Please let me assist you, if L
can"
"Oh, sir y and she raised her beau
tiful, tear-filled and pleading eyes to
me; you are very good, and | am lost
and ruined I"
Then a fit of weeping prevented her
speaking for some minutes. after which
| again spoke:
w hat is the trouble, Miss, that
may help you out of it, ifthere is way
out? Here is my card, and you need
not fear to speak freely and frankly.
She looked at the card, and then
dried her tears partially. She told me
her story in its details, first asking:
Did you see Mr.. Deslonde. the gen.
tlemen who brought me here"
"Mr. Deslonde Was the gentle.
man who brought you from the cars
into this room Mr.. Deslonde ?"
Yes. sir, his name is Mr.. Paul Des
londe, and his home is New Orleans
For several months he has been al
B, buying and dealing in horses
and mules
So, thought /, Gus is up to some ot
his old tricks again.
The young lady who gave me hel
name, not necessary to be mentioned
here. went on to tell how Mr.. Desloudt
had boarded with her widowed mother
how he had made himself almost son
and during all this time made love tt
herself-the only daughter He haC
been exemplary in all thiugs-indeed
he displayed all the graces and nobl'
phases of true manhood, and none o.
the vices, and both mother and daugh
ter were charmed and captivatcd b!
the gentleman from New Orleans.
The counting sped smoothly, an,
Lula (that was her given nane) an,
Mr.. Deslonde became engaged. H
received not many days before lette
recalling him at his earliest conven
=.