The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-05-05

drew his knees together, slipped into a
respectfully diagonal position. 80 as TO
oppose the narrowest point oil contact
with her, and carefully busted his knees
and her dress softly with bis handker
CHER. The shyest nymph would scarce
ly have been startled, the coolest and
most Anticipated Of duennas would not
have been discomposed by the submls-
sive respect OF the Captain. The young
lady. who evidently was neither, turned
pair OF calm, large gray eyes on her
nelghbor and sat expectant. But how
the Captain improved his chances I
must refer the reader to his own &C
count OF the interview, delivered grave
ly the same evening to his brother
guardians
when / saw we was in for 1t, boys"
he said rubbing his knees upward softly.
| kinder measured the gal afore [ com
menced, to see what sort Of q hand she
might hold. But you couldn't hev told
anything by her looks. And short of
axiDg her q downright sassy question,
you couldn't get word out of her about
her own business, nor what she war up
TO. And then WE'LL" continued the
Captain, with languid smile Of CON
scious success, 81 calkilated that this
was one Of them peculiar cases that
wanted skill and science, and jist ap-
piled EN-, and in course / won. Thet's
all. Yes" said the Captain with yawn
Of stifled Indifference, sits all right
now, boys. Everything's explained
But howl" queried the others
eagerly
well" said the Captain, lazily, ST
sorter slipped into gineral conversa-
ton about the opery, the fashions, and
po'try, and SIGH. Speakin' o litiratoor,
told her of yarn I'd read tother day
10 magazine, and then, kinder keer-
less and easy, jst up and told her the
and herself, giving her the name Of
Seraphina. cal ling You and Horton
Oscar and 'Roderigo, and Fleet Gus
tavus,' and myself 'Redentio,' which is
Latin for Rats Well, il | do say it
myself, it wasn't no SLOUGH of story,
fur [ was kinder clipper and fresh, and
the other passengers was jst as much
interested az she was. Then / sorter
looked in her eye, you know, this way"
and Capt. Rats here achieved q pecu-
larly Je~ uitical leer," and said that ]
allowed it wasn't true, and asked her
what she thought about it as story,
And she said it might be true and it
might not, but it was quite Interesting.
Them's her very words, gentlemen"
Well, go on" said the Colonel,
eagerly.
That's ALP
Cali all !" shrieked the guardians to-
gether. Didn't she say anything else?
Didn't You --"
Mary" said the Captain coolly. "But
it's all right boys! Ypu'll see."
Horton seized Capt Rats by one shout
Ter. and the Colonel grappled the other
For few seconds they shook him furi
Ouslv.
Where is she DOW, you blank, blank
mule? Answer us ~
"Why, | reckon she's over at the
Union Hotel with Fleet. | forgot to say
mat he happened accidental to be there
when the stage KEN in. She seemed to
be kinder easy and nat'ral wit him, and
But before Capt. Rats had finished
his speech the two men rose furiously
and dashed out of the room bareheaded. |
And even as the Captain sat there, mute /
and astOnished, yet with his usual vague
smile of acquescenee lingering around
his mouth, Horton returned, shook his |.
fist fiercely at the Captain, seized his |
hat and vanished. In another moment |
the Colonel also re-entered hastily, |
grasped his hat, kicked Capt. Rats and |
dashed out again.
AS the door slammed on the last Of
his fellow guardians, Capt. Rats rose
slowly, emptied his glass tn oughtfully. |
placed one knee on chair and rubbed |
it in silence. Presently a more decided
smile came in his eye, and crept to his
mouth as his lips slowly fashioned this |
astounding reflection:
That's so-that's III Fleet was alters |
kinder soft CD the gal! Like as not
like as not-he' s no and writ to her on
the sly. . Bret Harte.