The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-02-16
Ished had vanished. A French girl stood In
the way Of everything"

Ia
had come to light so proyoklngly. But
was not possible TO hate Jeanne very long
She was dark and rather tawny complexioned
q not so handsome as Fanny. but with sotnf
, thing OF her look, only softer and more sym
o pathetic. Soon we were great friends, an
. she told me the whole story Of her life, whe
did not take long In telling. She had bee
y early left an orphan with portion " fet
thousand francs, all that that her poo
fathers msfortunes had left, which had bee
, expended In preparing her. for the lyri
. stage. She was to make her debut at Reuen
In the following week. In Boieldieu's Dam
. blanche And she had come to Canville d
visit her mothers grave.
, When | told her vaguely OF the FORUM
that would come to her, Jeanne looked ut m
J with the wondering eyes OF a child who Il
promised soine treat almost beyond Its com
, prehension. Her first idea was that sh
would give sulnptous petit supper to he
| friends Of the Comedie. But when she founf
, that the fortune could not he touched all al
once, and that she would have TO accompany
me to England, and stay there some time
her countenanee fell. To forfeit the engage
ment IL had cost her SO much to obtain, tt
disappoint her friends and leave her owl
country for that cold and foggy England
ah, mol With thousand thanks, she must
decline,
But her friends we're sensible people, and
when they found that the fortune was not an
affair Of thousands Of francs, but OF millions
they Insisted on her going. Jeanne took
leave OF them oil with uubounded grief. The
sea, too, frightened her BY good luck the
sun was SHINING when we reached Southamp-
ton, and the general aspect Of things was SO
cheerful that Jeanne frightened up, and
reached London In the highest spirits.
| We drove at once to our house, and handed
Jeanne over to my mothers care while |
went on to Hornton street TO explain matters
4 TO the Hazlewoods. Bad news met me there.
Bridget appeared solemn and hushed Lady
Hazlewood was dead. Her young mistresses
In Inf nd
Miss Hazlewood moment She would see.
| Fanny came down with pale. suffering face
cold and constrained In her manner. She
thanked me for what | had done; they were
quite satisfied had acted for the best They
did not blame me; but as for what had passed
between us 1t must row come to an end. She
| had hard duty before her, to act for herself
and her sisters. IL Was her manifest destiny
to he, an artist; she did not regret 1t, but she
| could never think of marrying now Il was
| not the time for discussion. had pictured to
| m yself Fanny In her trouble comforting her
self In my affection and the disiliusion had
rather chilled me-
Bridget broke out as she showed me to the
door Had she served two generations Of the
Ha2lewouds to see them robbed by bit
Of French hussy2 But she'd have the
thing sifted to the bottom, and the Lord Advo-
cate himself should see to It, But BrIdpat
came to see me next day I'm more humble
mood
"Ye'll never desert Miss Fanny now she's
so sair In need of a friend, Mr.. Phillip"
replied that should be true to her II she
were true to me- and then Bridget went on 10
say that her young mistress would be unable
to see any one till after the funeral and that
they hoped | would be present TO pay the last
Offices Of respect to Lady Hazlewood.
After the funeral was held family council.
to which ! was invited In my professional
capacity, as ! was given to understand
When everything should be sold-the old |
fashioned furniture, the family pictures, the
I.iS Il
couple Of hundred pounds left after all deduo- |
lions. Could they possibly keep together as |
family. Bridget included, and earn their |
bread2 1t was difficult to see how. Cone |
way suggested itself, whispered to Fanny |
III she would marry me at once the others /
could find home with US" Perhaps had |
too benignant an air when said this-possl-
bly, my manner was too cold and matter of
Fanny received my suggestion
with an utter refusal. .'All that had come TO
an end she said" would / please never
reeur to the subjeet2 She could value ms az
a friend, but nothing more"
Fanny spoke SO harshly and coldly that /
found myself rasped completely The wrong
way. Fanny, ! felt sure, had only made use
OF me for family ends | had been hardly
used, and II my honest affection met with no
better return, then let there be an end to every
thing. Fanny coldly assented. before I left
she brought down q small bundle OF letters.
and few presents In the way OF iewelry.
Everything was there" she said. Except
the last letter | had written, which she had
searched for everywhere; and that had bsen
addressed to the sisters generally. and one of
the younger ones had lost It,"
There Is no situation under which man
Eeels more foolish than In walking away with
y bundle OF returned love-letters under his
arm. They had been made UP for me, too
beforehand, and the idea Of that provoked
me.
And there was Jeanne ut home as gracious
md winning as an angel. She had snbjugated
them all. Ny fathef- with his old-fashioned
gallantry-the mother with her dignity OF
British fnatron, and her French OF the almost
forgotten Chaplain academy-bOth were her
victims. My sister was charmed
with her The two cubs, my brothers, were (
her most devoted slaves: Jeanne had made
herself loved by us all. Our house had never
been very solemn, but now 1t was like grove
'ull OF nightingales Jeanne sang always
gay, light airs, with clear, fresh voice.
But she was very sod when | told her Of
write at once and ask when she could see ,
hem, and OF course she would put them at
heir ease as to the future. But when she
anne back from her visit to Hornton street
make friends with her cousins, and they had I
most Indignantly rejected her offers Of SER
E1ce. Jeanne came to me to ask could sug-
yest any way in which she could help her
COUSINS unknown to them2 | could not sug-
,est any plan at the moment. but no doubt
opportunities would arise
In the meantime Jeanne and went about
everywhere, she gracefully childlike and
pleased with everything, with her native tact
n keeping ones masculine susceptibiities all
rubbed the right way, / beconiug every day
more and more fascinated with the charming I
stranger. My heart had been caught In the
'ebound. Our lawsuit, too, progressed capt.
ally; all the proofs were satisfactory; before
ong We had decision In our favor, and on her
,wenty- first birthday we were able to con-
gratulate Jeanne on coming into possession OF
ler fortune
1T is TO thee owe 1t, my dear friend" she
'aid, putting her hand into mine with pretty
GESTURE OF friendship, land now, monsieur,
you must name your reward"
his IS the reward lcoyet," / exclaimed, as
pressed her hand and looked passionately
INTO her face.
She cast down her eyes, with sort Of half
smile upon her face, thoughtful and content.
ind yet without citation.
III such reward contents you, how can I
.efuse it,"
Yes, was lucky fellow, with 50 much