The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1877-12-25

go yesterday, what better time can
there be than nowr'
Tom bowed, and went of meekly
to stop the horses. He hadn't even
the spirit left to demonstrate. Ger
tie curled her lip, and marched up
istairs. l fled to the garden; and
there, at the end of my third cigar,
saw Tom and Miss Marcy coming
back.
Attic gate they were met by Miss
Elliott, in tin pan bat and the inevi-
table gray dress.
20, Mr.. Stannerdr' she called out
II took the liberty to order up your
trap, as you call it. and Lady Fannie.
You know you promised me ride;
and unless we go now, we won't have
time before dinner"
| Poor Tom! no wonder he looked
langnishing. He had better have
stayed at Newport. The womef
there might have worried him; but
there were others to draw of their
attention, and they couldn't have
hunted him down as they did here.
was so busy about him, as I
lounged through the parlors, that l
forgot what / owe to MYSELF and my
sex, and was so unpardonably care
less as to catch my foot in a thin,
gray, floating skirt, and tear it.
Then I discovered, all at once, that l
had accidentally walked into the IL
brary, and that the owner of the
skirt was sitting in q recessed WIN
dow, and looking up to apologize,
looked straight into a pair of blue
eyes, and-antl-was-well, hardly
know what to say, for I never was a
"bookish fellow" and some people
don't like slang, or I might make
you understand by telling you she
was what we call 'sstunner."
Come to think of it, that isn't the
word exactly either. A ststunner,"
you know is very brilliant, and has a
great deal of style, and we all like to
dance with her; but then, man
don't want a "stunner" for his wife,
because that mems nice person
with soft voice and modest look.
So this lady couldn't have been a
"stunner," though she did take my
breath away, because she was just
precisely the woman a man would
like for wife. She did't belong tc
our set, either. The girls of our sci
are apt to be little gh-shoulderel
and their elbows are, somehow, al
the time insight, and are so much
like the last fashion plates, and sc
confoundedly cool and easy, thai
sometimes they put q fellow out. !
q Now Alcyona-for I found out thai
was her name-di MT look business
like; or as if she wore heels that she
!, brought heavily down on the ground
or as if she had ever seen the inside
Of one Of our fashionable. machine
schools; but, perhaps the best way
can tell you will be to mention The
fact that forgot all about my shirt
studs, and was so busy thinking O
lilies, and pearls, and odd ends O
poetry, and bits of music that sud
{ denly came into my head, that
made a terrible piece of work of N,
apology; and probably never coulc
have finished it, if she hadn't helped
me. That over, / found that ths
window would hold >more than one
3 and seated myself near her. There
Tom discovered me, not very muct
to his delight, for he was evidently
e afraid Of my shirt-studs; but, a
| usual, he seated himself between us
and opened conversation, in which
f [ was allowed about as much shar,
as lapdog, or poor relation.
E "Miss Alcyona, be compassionate
1 am worn out, disappointed man
fast merging into misantllrope
t Another such day would finish tn
$ work. Restore me my faith in hu
t man nature"
"How, Mr.. Stannerd2" AS if b.
were here grandfather.
'Look at me-"
/! II can't count my Stitches"
r "Talk to me, then"
D 81 am doing that already
t "You are too bad. Will you rid
5 with me tomorrow?
'No! l have too much conscience.
o Here was chance for, Tom t
1 melt into the tender phase, only tia
d | was there listening as devoutly a
]. if l had been in church; and, {
e course, he was thrown out, as
J, meant he should be. I considere