The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1875-01-29

eyes and the soft, sensuous languor c
the famed east, but a good, healthy
pretty girl, something to love fondly
something tangible to stand the wea
and tear of life, something worthy @
mans striving efforts.
That evening there vas an ICY party o
Uncle Paul's. Mary had been amusin
him in the earlier hours with cold
fashioned songs" as Paul called them
and the two were in the midst of thes
pleasures when Philip Hastings was an
nounced. Uncle Paul could not escape
He had nowhere to go but to bed, ant
it was too early for that. Young ladies
need not be told how really disagreeablt
the position when a young gentleman ii
present who loves her, while an elder
member of the family is immovably
anchored in the room, and who in turn
heartily dislikes, or thinks he does, the
young man as "bad man." She was
afraid of an explosion as she nervously
undertook the task of directing the con.
versation. She endeavored to steer
clear of the quicksands, but in trying to
draw Uncle Paul into conversation
she precipitated just what she was so
anxious to avoid.
Uncle Paul had sat quite still for
awhile, in half-drowsy, brown study,
but he awakened suddenly when Mary
said, "Suisie and I met such strange
looking, unhappy old man to-day"
GA what-that old man-beyond o
doubt bad man."
"Why, Uncle Paul, have you walked
at last?" asked Mary. "I'm glad
something can fix your attention"
Paul did not look as though he cared
to listen, as Mary went on. $50 old
and feeble, and yet something telling
OF better and happier days in his face
curves worn deep by patient sorrow.
Just as We passed he was saying: iii
could only talk to him minute, as if
some old friend had refused him sym
pathy. Who could it have been, I
wonder? I pitied him."
Uncle Paul fidgeted, but said nothing,
though he felt the thrust SO uninten-
tionally given, while Philip Hastings
seemed happy and yet uneasy at the
turn things had taken, so different from
what he had desired. The two talked
OF the strange old man, while Uncle
Paul grew uneasy at every word, until |
finally he rose upon his feet and began
pacing the floor in an agitated way that
he could not conceal.
Mary watched her uncle for few
surprised, and wondering
what there was in the talk about
strange old man to agitate her dear old
uncle. Philip said to her:
Miss Wayne, the old man of whom
We have been talking is one entirely
worthy of your sweet sympathy, and, in
! word, is my best friend"
Uncle Paul haulted suddenly, utterly
lumfounded at the declaration. He
aised beth hands, as if the affrontery
i the avowal had filed him with sur
rise AMI indignation too deep for ex-
lression.
Tell me, Philip Hastings, that at
east you do not know this old mans
Iistory.n
A thousand frightful questions sug- j
ested themselves to the mind of Mary.
he leaned forward to catch Philips ]
enial, denial which she hoped he /
1ould make, and she shared Paul 8
Vayne'a horror when Phillip said b
Every line and page of it, SIR" to
Why, sir, he's the wickedess man 0
live, and if you-welI, if he is your 6
lend, il there is any community of Il
lought with him, why-welI, I'm t
ght, beyond a doubt. But there can b
ot be. He has given you his version, Il
i'd when ] tell you all, you will cut
IN off. Il
. He has told me all, and I have b
und that he has told me the truth, b
% whole truth and nothing but the il
nth. When men assume q character A
is not a bad one. The old man Quig. q
J has made clean breast OF it all, Il
9 arrested me in my downward career, D,
ID / cannot, would not cast him ofs. .
There was something in his speech, II
earnest, SO manly, that Mary was v
oud OF her lover for having uttered al
and even the lines in Uncle Paul's j,
% were softened, and he was almost Al
ady to acknowledge that he might be n
ong, when Philip resumed his story dt
" fpent last winter at New Orleans. tt
you know. One night I visited I'll
ming table and was induced to play. So
lost heavily, and, becoming desper- dc
!, was about to risk my purse and th
contents upon single throw,
len servant stumbled against me 81
] We fell. As stopped to aid him ye
whispered /: Il did it purposely. of
y no more. Meet me outside the th
Or Withdrew from the game and WI
i him, and he said: Your antagon- pl
there pointing inward, was pr
eating you ! saw it all. Don't 90 sil
j. ! was ruined there; I used To gr
y with thousands, and now sweep On
! floors. Why do you stay there 2 Of
sked. / must eat and drink, and an
Q viii take me with character from n,
re as my last place r." an
Tavv felk yaliavad and bar ,,z,,T1 / S1lt