Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1878-05-22

sex for prey. Tho face of beaut,
fades quickly through a pcstilentiaI
Tfever now quite common, and the
exquisite daughter of one of the first
families has been taken for an Indian
squaw by reasons of the same
Frccklcs are paramount. The hair
withcrs and falls out-thc teeth like
wise the same. Much as We hope
to once more behold that darling
face, we could not expose you to
such certain ruin. Your mother
tainted Oh reading your request To
visit her. i fear i'll her present
state OF health a visit from you
would be fatal. If yon value pa.
rents love, Danish this idea from
your mind. In few years, proba
bly, we will bc able to once moro
clasp you i'll our arms by the Allan.
tic shores.
Your AFFECTIoNATE PARENTS.
Six weeks had elapsed and the
dutiful answer to the above, conf.
IDENTITY looked for by the guardians,
was due. Nevertheless. as the time
approached some nervousness on the
part of Fleet was manifested by
that gentlcman's unrest and his frc
qucnt visits to Capt. Rats, to whom
all letters addressed TO their dcccas.
cd friend were delivered. "Noth.
ing from the young lady yet,
SUPPOSE" Fleet would say indifier,
emily. "No,7 the Captain would re.
spOnd quietly. al reckon it'll take
her about two weeks to get over her
disappointment. Then she'll write
sassy-like rs motor mebbec not
at all" Fleet turned pale, then
red, and then bit his mOustache
"You don't think, Captain he
asked with an affected laugh, "that
we were n littlc-just little too
hard'' "Not too much for peace aud
quietncss," replied the Captain
gravely; "women don't take a half.
way MOI they can't believe a man
means it,' he added, "anymorc
than they do" Nevertheless, the
Captain himself grew little anx.
ious, and, having to visit Sacra-
mento, left strict orders with his
comrades that he was to he recalled
promptly on the arrival of Miss
Fanny's reply.
But his visit was not interrupted,
and it was nearly three weeks
later that he mounted the box seat
of the Pioneer stage coach to return
to Lagrange. AS he settled HIM
self beside the driver, after the
interchange of few compliment.
airy epithets, his eyes glanced down
toward the wheels, and was at
tracted by an open letter and part
Of female head Obtruded from the
window Of the coach. The fair
reader had evidently thus sought
to evade the gloom of the coach's
interior, and possibly the prying
eyes of her fellow passengers, while
SHE pcrused it. But why did the
Captains withcrcd cheeks instant,
IS lose color, and why did he con-
vulsivcly clasp the railing by his
sidei The letter was in his own
handwriting, and had been mailed
to Miss Fanny six weeks before!
1t was impossible even by the
utmost craning, and ut the risk of
his life, to see anything moro than
a bit of lace, some artificial flowers,
a front of blonde hair, and the fatal
letter Yet his guilty conscience
instantly recognized in these scant
facts the formidable presentiment
of the deceived orphan. Had she
discovered the trick, and was she
now on their trail, with this terri
ble indictment in her handf Or
was she still in ignorance-an igno.
rance which single chance qucs.
ton might dispel, amid Paintings,
shricks, tears, and wailing. Capt.
Rats grew apoplctic with bewildcr.
mcnt; he dared not even ask "a
question of the driver, who was al.
ready beginning to survey him with
II sardonic lcer, and had audibly
sought information if he, the Cap.
tain, called this kind Of conduct
proper at "his time o lite "Lct
the gal alone, Rats-don't you see
it amt a love letter from you she's
pOrin' over!" he added-a statement
that again covered the Captain with
guilty bushes. But a sudden Jolt
of the vehicle, a little shrek, and
the nuttcring Of the letter tn the
road, Jared from the readers fin.
gers, gave the Captain a providcn.
tial opportunity. TO jump from the
box to the road and seize the truant
epistle was but the work of mo-
ment. When ha annroached the