The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-04-09

0 The tale was told in few words. al
/ the next day NJ. A de VILLAIN set off {
o his journey home, trying his best to 70
: get that carte-de-visite.
There followed much commotio
f among the friends of the Bornos: No
/ did 1t end there, for it became the gen
2 eral topic of conversation. NJ. de b
| landi felt dull, having lost his CUES
! and then there was the reaction and
tiatness consequent on the unusual e,
element. Besides this, Elise was neve
now seen in her old haunts when h
went TO the house she. was not in tn
drawIng-rOom. He feared she was an
noyed with him, and purposely avoide,
him whenever she could do SO. WheI
a meeting was inevitable there was ,
greater reserve and an uncertain man
ner, so different from the old gentl,
| pleasantness that it made him feel un
happy.
8 don't know what ails her, com
planned the old father, one dav. to NJ
de Belandi. ''She pleases herself, OF
might have done so. But is no longer
the same girl. l was saving to her
mother | wished you might call; for if
any one can rouse her or find out what
Is the matter, it is yourself.
10 please the poor old gentleman, M.
a small boudoIr where she sometiInes
sat. He had often been privileged to
enter this room; and now, as his knock
met with no notice, pushed open the
door without scruple.
Elise had been crying; but as she
turned and saw him blush covered her
Il. L.
what looked like a photograph, which
she had evidently been looking at.
''What, another photograph he eX-
claimed, trying to carry off the little
awkwardness he felt by joke. why,
Elise, is it possible that there was Il
reason for your falling TO see the charms
Of VILLAIN Have you, too, been caught
by carte-de-visite?
To his surprise, instead of meeting
his Joke with smile of saucy retort, she
bent her head, striving to hide her tears,
and the hand which held the picture ac-
tually trembled.
My dear Elise, what is it Your
father is quite unhappy about you.
You are not an undecided person; but
is it possible that you regret saying No ?
A lady is allowed to change her mind. "
Still her agitation seemed toincrease,
and she could not keep down her sobs.
Presently she snatched her hand to
her head, stammerlng some unconnected
| words about being not well. She for
got for the moment the photograph,
which was, by this movement exposed,
to view. NJ. de Belandi's establishment
was great, indeed, to see a by no means
fattering photograph of himself.
! He stood transfixed for few moments
while vail seemed to be suddenly rails
ed from his mind, disclosing old things
in a different shape, clear and defined
things which had hitherto been but dim
" guessed at, and then suddenly hidden
again and while he was so gazing and
so thinking, she looked up and discover
ed what she had done.
By way of correcting the mistake she
made another; catching up the photo
graph with Q little exclamation of alarm
and then, with a sudden perception Of
what she had done, choking her sobs,
she tried to explain THAT she had been
turning out her desk, and so-and So"
But his eyes were now bent so earn
estly on her face that she was, in man
ner, compelled to meet his look.
elise, is it possible ?" he whispered.
Then presently he held out his arms
In a mement she was in them, clasped
close, her tears falling softly. But q
sudden change came over her face.
and she struggled torelease herself, say
ing:
leave me instantly! You have
taken advantage of like you as
friend, of course, but-you misun.
derstand3"
"And [ love you, not as a friend
Elise. l have long doue so. But
would not allow it to myself even.
was too old for you; you only thought
of me, so [ believed, as grave relation
and mentor | know now what it al
meant my dread of losing you"
but you urged me on, she inter
rupted. 1t was your words which
You seemed to have set your heart Oh
| it..
:" Not 50. Let US sitdown and quietly
talk together little, he said.
This they did, and he managed t.
convince her that if her heart had beer
| given to him, it was not until she haC
full possession of his. But how coulC
he, at his age, be so vain as to suppose
that he had the shadow of a chance
He had tried to stife every feeling
bravely; too much so indeed. But nov
surely she would not punish him 70
this
The result of it all was, to the ute
surprise of NJ. Borno, his friend NJ. d.
Belandi made formal proposal for tn,
hand of his daughter Elsie The ole
gentleman had to seek for, and then pu
on, his spectacles before he could believ
that he heard rightly, looking first a
one and then at the other in way t
bring up bushes as well as smiles on tn
face of Elise. When he really took
in, consent was fully given, and after
little more talk between papa and mamma
they began to wonder how it was tina
they had never thought of this before
So this was why Mademoiselle Els
had shown herself so difficult to please
In the course of time she confesse'
that she had only given up hope whe
NJ. de Belandi had so urged her to az
cept VILLAIN; and in the pain of that me
ment she had very nearly been driver
in a fit of pride and despair, to follow hi
advice.
There was gay wedding; and whe
it was over, and the Maison Pontneu
was restored to its wonted quiet, oil
Madame Borno, sitting in her easy chai
after the fatigue of the morning, e1
claimed, ''And it was all owing to
photograph after all"
Fluff
! New York World.1
Virtue is its only reward.
A woman's weepins-tears.