Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-06-21


could not make her happy. In word,
my heart is not mine to bestow. 1t is
already in the keeping of another"
''In the keeping of the old scratch"
exclaimed Uncle Hawkes., angrily.
Fitzroy drew up his elegant form with
dignity.
"You forget, sir. You are my uncle,
but cannot hear that term applied to
the lady l love-
''Fiddlesticks! And pray, sir, who
may this wonderful female be 7"
"She is q wonderful woman, sir; the
paragon of her sex for grace, beauty
and sweetness"
ooh, no doubt no doubt! And where
had you the good fortune to meet this
paragon ~
Mr.. Hawkes. was very red in the face,
though trying hard to appear coolly
sarcastic.
Charles Albert looked dreamily into
the sky, and answered softly
~ first met her at Venice, On noon
light night, in gondola."
"Gondolas be--smashed % sneered
Uncle Hawkes..
"Sir" said Fitzroy, haughtily.
ooh, go on, go on! Let's hear all
aboutit 1t will do no good. He, he!
What did she say in the gondola'
"She repeated some lines Of Byron
about Venice and the Adriatic. / hap
pened to be seated next to her and heard
it. Aud she leaned ever the gondola
and let the sparkling waters ripple
through her white, jeweled fingers, look
ing like pearls in the moonlt spray''
"He, he. What next ?"
Charles Albert Indignantly arose.
"Sir, can not have the deepest and
most sacred emotions of my heart mock
ed atw
"Oh, sit down, sit down! You haven't
yet told us the namo Of the lady"
"Her name," he said softly and pen
sively, "her name was, Zeleuca."
WHAT"
"Zeleuca. So she signed herself in a
note to me-,
Mr.. Oliver Hawkes. rugged counte-
nance assumed an expression Of unspeak'
able disgust.
"You don't mean to say that she was
some heather Greek or Italian ~
"No, sir; she was an American, OF
English"
Unfortunately, l could never ascer
tain her family. She was travelling
with small party-a family party, ap
parently--and their name was Cresswel
But she had not the air of being relatet
to them"
"And you never met her again /
was on the summit of Vesuvius--"
"Ah, little nearer heayen--or, it ma,
be, the opposite place."
"On the very verge of the awful era
ter, where she stood, calm and fearles
gazing down, without shudder, int
the fiery abyss below"
"Nice warm place for declaration 0
love. Hope you made it."
"No, sir; there l unfortunately los
her. One moment saw her standin
thus, and knew by her shy glance an
blush that she recognized me, and wa
not indifferent to the meeting. Blu
when, a moment after, ! again turne
toward her, she was gone. | caught on
hasty glimpse of her rapidly-descendin
FORM
"Gracious heavens9 you don't mean
saw that she fell into the crater?" erie
Uncle Hawkes., in unaffected horror.
"Of course not" replied his nephe'
Indignantly. 81 mean that she and he
party were descending the mountain b
the new inclined railroad"
ooh! And you followed, suppose
81 did track them for several days
but as often as l came up with thel
they would disappear. Those two ia
red-faced guardians of hers--Mr. an
Mrs. Overwhelmingly suspected III
, Once in Florence, succeeded in sendin
her line, asking if she would be on I'll
: balcony in the evening, and she reptile
that she would, signing herself Zeleuc
: But she did not appear, and after wei
) ing until twelve at night, | discovere
that her guardians had dragged her c
before sunset. They had started fl
Paris, whittier / followed, and afte
wards to London, but could never ga
another trace of them. For two mont
! | never. tired in the search
"Ah. so 1T was that which kept you