New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-06-04

j
Cora, however, seemed pleased with my
provident arrangements, and expresie cd her
self delighted with the situation Of the
house and the quality Of tho furniture. A
our meals were to be sent from . neighbor-
ing restaurant, abe agreed to commence
housekeeping without . servant, and in the
course of few days We found ourselves
drifting along in the matrimonial current,
with what appeared to b . complete re-
turn of sunshins and good feeling. Indeed,
began to reflect seriously ON myself for
condemning my Cora, simply because che
had expressed preference for . rich old
man - . husband over poor young tailor
who happened to be his rival. The prefix
of merchant to the trade designation Of
tailor, in the premises, was willing to re-
gard - probably fiction. Under this
change the cloud had dreaded lost its
darkness and . rainbow took it place.
Things having thus become settled down
into every day quietude, found that ten
days Of my furlougk still remained. Just
then it happened that . number of the
treasury clerks had arranged for . little
fishing and picnic excursion to Cooney L.
land and in consequence of my new promi-
hence as . married man / was invited to
join the party. Indeed, it was . married
mems party, and the husbands were ex-
pected to take their wives along.
When l first proposed tho matter to Cora
she seemed to be delighted. A trip on the
water, she said, was altogether better than
rolling over the country in dusty cars; she
was anxious, besides, to see Fortress Mon
roe and to show her skill in fishing in the
deep waters of the sea.
Such we're her views on Tuesday; 90 I
made arrangements for our departure on
Thursday. with the rest. But on Wednes-
day an unexpected change came over the
spirit OF her dream. She said that in the
visions of the night che had been disturbed
by q renewal of the horrors of the
Wawaset-a steamboat disaster which had
occurred nearly year previously-and, 90
cepting the vision as warning, she had
determined not to 60. Now, this Wawaset
disaster had been in reality very serious
affair. The boat had been burned on the
Potomac, and many lives were lost. Cora,
however, generously suggested that I
should not forego the pleasure of tho trip,
because she, through . perhaps idle fancy,
had changed her mind. Indeed she urged
me to 60 with . persisteDcy which was
suggestive of either lack Of faith in her
own dream, or possible willingness to be-
come . widow. The rainbow began again
to lose it's colors, and - it did 60 the dark
cloud returned.
Chapter vi.
MY TRIP-A LITTLE CANE OF DRAw-THE
BIRTHDAY. FEAsr-A LIGHT In CORA'S
CHAMBER - HOFFMAN's ANODYNE-G GRAY
CLOTHES EXCHANGED FOR BLACK-rHE
PLETHORIC POCKET BOOK-MY REVENGE
THE END.
When Thursday morning arrived my
interest in the proposed trip had greatly
waned, and but that my wife urged me not
to dissppoint my fellow clerks, l would
have abandoned all Thoughts of going. She
said there was no need of my remaining
on her account, as she would spend most of
the time during my absence at her mothers,
and felt assured that Q few days of sea air
and sea bathing would do me good. Being
careless about the matter it was late be-
fore 1 got away, and when arrived at
the steamboat wharf the Lady of the Lake,
with gay party Of e1cursionists on board,
was just starting down the bay.
l, of course, had to return home, and
when l reached the dear spot where my
treasure was, the gentle Cora began to
laugh at me. She said had accused her of
being superstitious, but it was evident now
that was quite a. superstitious as she, if
not more 80. She had been deferred from
going by q dream; /, by the shadow Of .
dream, dream dreamed by another.
told her there was no superstition in the
matter; would have gone had not been
yet 60 on the morrow and meet the excur
aionists at their island rendezvous.
At this she appeared to be somewhat
pleased. Fears and superstitions. che con-
siderately assured me, were we'll enough
for women, but they were not the stuff out
of which true men were made. Though
somewhat of q coward herself she did not
want coward for husband.
Accordingly. started bright and early
on Friday morning, and late in the after
noon arrived at Cooney island. When l
got ashore l found plenty of strangers
there, but my treasury friends was I'M
able to discover. After wandering around
for some time l returned to the spot at
which had landed an hour before, and
took my seat in front of the hotel. There
were three other persons sitting there, en-
joying the sea breeze and their cigars, and
as they were socially disposed I soon Joined
them in conversation. In seeming, at least,
they we're as pleasant q trio as one would
choose to meet and, in my peculiar situa-
ton, even less attractive companionship
would have been acceptable.
At length their conversation turned on
games of chance, and after some plausible
discussion they arrived at the solemn con-
clusion that life in this world is q mere
lottery; that the prizes and blanks are dis
tributed less by merit than by chance, and
that all commercial speculation is essen
TALLY gambling in its worst form, being
based on the desire of making gains at the |
cost of others, and conducted, as far a. pos
'ible, on principles of stimulation and de- !
,eption. As q sequel was invited to take |
) hand at little game of draw, merely, as
was urged, to pass away the time. l said |
hat nv acOuaintancA with the pama vaa
extremely limited, 40 limited, indeed, that |