Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1877-03-24
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

For many long year have carried it
close locked within my heart, till it has
scared both heart and brain. After beg
ging and praying for week they have
at las, allowed me pen and ink; here on
this untouched white paper can tell it
all. Alice Walton was my first and
only intimate friend. We were fast
friends from the beginning, for she was Of
sweet, guileless aud clinging nature. /
was naturally secretive, strong, self
reliant, and somewhat disposed to domi-
rate those with whom | was brought in
contact.
Ny friendship for Alice surprised my
self quite as much as any one else, and |
was quite "a much at loss to under
stand il.
Alice Walton was like a lily-fair,
slender and lovely, with dOvelike eyes,
and hair like corn silk. was As dark as
Spanish GIRL with hair like midnight,
and lustrous black eyes; and many an
admirer has told me in the days of my
prime that no Spanish girl could COM
pete with my beauty or with my grace.
But :hey were not beyond the competi-
ton Of one fair girl. and she won, right
under my fine eyes and in the face Of
my rich southern beauty, the only man
whose love / craved-the one heart for
which would so gladly have exchanged
my own.
When we finally said good bye" to
school l made an express stipulation
that Alice should come and stay month
with me, after she had first returned
home and remained week with her own
friends. l counted the days till she
came, for 1 really loved the girl, and
longed TO share with her, as friend, a
new and delicious joy which she had
never known. A far-off cousin of my
mother-so far as to be no relation at all
had come in my absence to spend the
summer with US. OF course had heard
ofhim in my letters from home, and was
somewhat disappointed at the prospect
of having him there during Alice's stay.
for hearing him always referred to as
mothers cousin'of course, fancied him
old and gray haired.
My satisfaction equaled my surprise
when, on meeting Arthur Godfrey, ]
found him to be young man of twenty.
five, handsome, accomplished, gay, good
humored-in short, my ideal of an ele.
CANT, we'll bred and refined gentleman.
was pleased enough then to call him
cousin; and as / learned to know him
better, more than pleased to remember
that be was only cousin by courtesy.
loved Arthur Godfrey. l believed
loved him from the first, although did
not then understand my own feelings
and had but little doubt but what he
responded to the feeling.
He was more than kind and gentle ir
his manner. Besides an afectionate re
gard for me, thought l detected in hi
manner a certain Difference which to my
mind, indicated the tender devotion of :
lover. ! knew he had never cared fo
anv woman before he met me, and
knew that was beautiful-what woman
is unconscious of her own charms? Ant
so felt justified in believingthat Arthu
cared for me, although no word of low
had yet passed between us.
told Alice nothing of this. l re
served my innocent triumph to be givel
in confidence during our first evening
together and, though would have per
ferred TO present Arthur as my afhancet
lover, which l almost regarded him a
being, quite intended to confess to he
frankly the love for him which / ha'
scarcely confessed to myself
Alice was week later than she ha'
promised, and came Unexpectedly whel
she did come. arriving the day be.or