The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-01-08

CouutcIltlI pTcScHtIlcIlt, anu 10 despair
of finding the original. In calm mo-
ments it seemed prodigiously unlikely
that l would ever meet her. / had a
cousin, Lucy Moore, who lived in a
country place near New York, and
who was good enough to take good
deal of notice of me, and to listen to my
pressing on many subjects, and had
confided to her my passion for the little
picture, through she had never seen it.
The fact was l was rather a donkey
about showing it. 1 did not like to
share it with any one; but I was going
to Lucy's home for the Christmas, and
l had promised to bring my picture
along and show it to her. L doubt if l
should have been willing to do this but
that thought it would be necessary to
save me from certain danger which
threatened me at my aunt's. Lucy was
to have friend with her for the Christ
mas, who was great heiress and belle,
and to whom she had resolutely deter
mined to marry me. Now l knew Lucy
to be a sensible girl, and that if 1
showed her the picture she would see at
a glance that my falling in love with
such finished coquette and wording
as her friend, Miss Chester, was simply
out of the question, after having accus-
toned myself to the innocent loneliness
of my guileless little inamorata. 1
reached Fenly, my aunt's place, four
days before Christmas, and Lucy came
out to meet me, and told me the others
had gone to ride, and that she stayed
at home especially to welcome me. This
was very good of her, of course,
but knew my cousin pretty well,
and / at once OWNED that this
premeditated tete-d-tete with me had
some object in it, and was not wrong.
She only allowed me to 60 in and kiss
my aunt, who was an invalid, and then
dragged me off to the library, made me
seat myself in front of her, and opened
upon me at point blank range, with a
volley of Miss Chester. I bore it pa
tiently for awhile, and then / reminded
her of my pre-engaged affections. She
scoffed, derided and sneered; laughed
at me, shamed me, and called me a
goose; but it had but little effect, and
finally asked me to show her the picture
OF my little ballet-girl, for of course she
must be some creature of that sort to be
scattering her pictures in this anony-
nous way about the country. This
made me angry, and l would not show
it her, and so we parted very huffily,
and made resolution to avoid Miss
Chester, and to spend twice as much
time in the smoking-room as usual, and
to devote most OF my other time in hunt
ing. l had pledged myself to remain
until after Christmas, and I would do
that; but mademoiselle Lucy should see
that sometimes the opinions of other peo-
pie We're worth something, and l would
not be married to order as she seemed
inclined to insist upon. When we were
parting | ventured to suggest to her that
Miss Chester might possibly be disin-
clined to the match-had that idea ever
occurred to her? OF course it had, she
answered; and she never supposed that
Di would marry me, when she had re-
fused scores of better men, for any
reason except to oblige her. She hoped
L did not think that Di Chester was a
girl to pine after such man as me!
And with this parting thrust my cousin
stalked out of the room. | went up
stairs to my old, familiar quarters,
to change my dress for
dinner, and l was listlessly
engaged in my toilet, when I heard the
clatter of hoofs. I walked to the win
dow and looked out. Several people on
horseback had drawn up under the win
dow, but patch Of bright blonde hair
upon black habit and under a black
feather, caught my eye. The girls
back was turned to me, and was sur
prised to find myself regarding her
lovely figure and hair with more interest
than had felt in any feminine lowell
ness since l had been in my present
state of thraldom to my photograph.
This was Miss Chester, of course, and
she Uas q lovely creature-that is, as
far as could see, for / had not vet had
a view of her face. just at this mo-
ment she turned her head-her chin was
raised and her head was turned directly
upward toward my window. Ny heart
gave great jump, and my blood came
tingling through my veins-it was the
face | had learned to adore and worship
the one lovely face in the world to me,
and l realized that l had for whole
year been in love with my Cousins
friend, Miss Chester. 1 stopped and
her dismount, and | saw her
dainty foot, and watched her exquisite
motions as she came toward the house,
and | confess to you, my confidential
friend, that l was smashed Excuse the
emotion which has betrayed me into
this expression, but it conveys an idea
Of my complete collapse better than any
hat occurs to me just now. After re-
lection / concluded not to reveal nv
secret to any one, not even Lucy; but
o try, with all my might and main, to
De my best self, and throw out of nv
life, at once and forever, all that was
wrong, and vain, and selfish, and igno-
Die, and see if it was not possible to win
he love of this peerless creature.
Icame down presently and was pre-
'ented in due form to Miss Chester, and
record it proudly so far controlled
myself as to meet her calmly and easily |
instead of falling down and caressinS
Ter slippers, as / felt dangerously in.
Lined to do. She was dressed in a
'iece of French millinery, with train
If about fwice tho 1anrth IF bo,. .,,,.,} /