New Orleans Republican., 1875-10-03


This other woman is Miss Harrington.
half-sister-Mrs. Temple. She is widow
with one child, she is beautiful, and she /.
fascinating as only few rare women-and
those women of the world-know how tC
be. That sounds sane enough, does it not
1t was my opinion the first evening saw
her, therefore l look back to it as an
opinion correct in the main, for since thai
time l have been incapable OF Judging
Marion Temple with any thing approaching
to GOODNESS. On our first acquaintance she
met me with very gracious kindness, aud
don't think that l wlthstOod her charm
twelve hours. Before the sun of the next day
went down was madly in love with her.
| Not so madly, however, that did not re
cognize the full absurdity OF the situation
had Joined Fanny Harrington with the
| determination to marry her, if possible, and
| 10! like a school boy of nineteen, surren-
| dered MY heart to aIorher woman as soon
as my eyes rested TN her. Once in our
lives we all wander i'll FOOLS paradise, and
are glad to be tools in order to enter there.
| You may imagine, however, that this was
someth ng of surprise to me, who fancied
had burnt out all power OF emotion. A
fever of passion took possession of me-sO
| suddenly and so cOmplet, ly that l resigned
myself without struggle. What is the
| good of fighting when the bonds are SURF
| If ever woman Understood how to
| rttuL' iDtst DHDur ludt NbIDdu Is MA
| riOn Temple. She commits herself in no
slightest degree by word, look or tone,
neither is there anything of ordinary
| coquetry in her manner, but be with
her out among the hills in the gold
| en- afternoon, or by the river in the silver
moonlight, and you will feel her spell in
| every fibre.
will not bore you by describing in detail
the drama of the past ten days. In all the
throng OF people have seen but one face,
been conscious Of hut one presence. And
that face has smiled on me most kindly,
that presence has been with me durns Ion g
hours in some green gorge or on some tow.
ering hillside The only third person who
ever accompanies us on these rambling ex-
petitions Of ours is Archie, Mrs. Temples
it le son. You know | had ways an odd
power of attracting children and dngs.
made no unusual effort to attract Archie,
but the child soon attached himself to me
rs IT he had been a spaniel. 1p some re-
spects he is veritabte entant terrible, but
always bold and frank, ana with look of
his mother in his face that makes it easy
for me to bear with him. think Mrs.
Temple knows that like him genuinely,
Tor she trusts him with me more than with
any one else, and Archie at least Is NV
staunch friend.
l say Archie at least" for l begin to
think that his mother is little moie than
brilliant, healtless coquette. Why she
has chosen to single me out so markedly
for her favor / can not tell. Meanwhile
there is young Develiu-a sufficiently or
dinary specimen OF the JeuneSse doree-whO
has b. en- devoting himself to Miss Harring-
ton. l took no possible interest in the
young man un iii Archie-who does not like
him, nlighteued me this morning on his
probable relation 10 Mrs. Temple. | was
out sketching, and had taken the child with
II .f ,.t,
him on the lawn seemed to rankle in Arch
les memory. Presently he said, Il hare
him. Mr.. Savage, and l don't ever mean to
like him-not even when he comes to BE- my
rother."
"You mean your uncle, don't you!" l
asked, for l tancied he was thinking of Miss
Harrington.
"No,' he answered, my brother. Mamma
Gays he will be when she marrles General
Develin, but don't think brothers can be
made that way, DO YOU"
1t was curious how my heart seemed
compressed suddenly by a strong grasp,
and how felt the blood forsaking my face.
/ had heard moth ng of this before. vet it
steadied me as great blow often does.
looked at the child calmly enough. "When
your mother marries General Develin!" |
said. SIS she going to marry hm9'
"To be sure che is" he ans wered. !'Didn't
you you know III She's was they call EN-
gagged to him. But don't like him, and
hate Mr. Oscar. | wish she was going to
marry you, Mr.. Savage. l told her SO yes
terday."
"Ah! What did she say to that9
'She told me not to talk nonsense
"NonsenseN The word stung me even on |
the child's lips. The thought of marrying |
me could only he Ionsens--me whom she |
had LED from fancy to passion, from passion |
to downright intatuation, by every art iu
her power. And all the time her faith
such as 1t isis plighted to another man.
Well, the story is old and stale enough. |
Women do such things every day, and fe |
no more remorse than you or l when we |
shoot bird. My heart was nothing more
to her than trophy of her power. had |
be. II a fool; in that all was said
1 returned to the hotel and found your
letter, which l am answering by pouring
my egotism upon you. But, as l said in |
must speak or die. My madness has
reached its culmina ing point. This after
noon l am to take Mrs. Temple out on the
river, and shall ask her to marry me- OF
,ourse she will give but one answer. That
answer, however, will serve to end this
Jolly. When one is drunk, plunge in
sold water often sObers; l am ten times
trunk, and therefore it may sober me 10
zee how coldly woman OF the world will
litter her disdaintul mo"
EveniDg.-She has uttered it, but not |
Whether or not my plunge
las sObered me, l do not know, but at |
east l am cool enough. The frenzy is
'ver. When a man finds that he has been
rleked and deceived-that he has been
lot only victim, but also dupe-it is
ime Tor bis manhood, if not his sense, to
ssert itself. i am steady enough to write
ut the scene. 1t may not interest you, but
Will be relief to me to put down in black
md white the words still ringing through
ny brain.
We went out on the river just before sun
ct little below the hotel CONNIE noes
What is known as still water. The river,
ately so noisy and impetuOus, grows smooth
nd calm as lake; instead OF rocks, green
slets dot its channel, and the great cliffs
ecede little, SO that they do not directly
it. As the boat shot out into
he centre of the stream, looked at the
air face of the woman before me, and de-
ermined in my heart that she should not
eturn until my suspense had been ended
nd all was clear bet ween us.
We tioated down stream, and as we neared
ne of the islets she began to speak OF the
,herokee tradition which placed here a
iren VINO lured hunters to destruction by |
he sweetness of her voice. ~ suppose this
indian LOrelei fled away when n the rude
lDglO Saxons came," she added.
"Perhaps che ls here yet, and only silent,"
said. ..Sing, and see if the spirit of |
lvalry will not make her break her 81.
,nce."
Of course this was only an excuse to
ear her voice, for she sings divinely. She
wish you could see the slow
weet smile that shines in her eyes before
curves her lips-and began that song so
-aupht with tha snjrit nj hnnaIas. 10 So |