The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1881-06-16
A MAlDEN'S ROMANCE.

A Thrilling Tale of New Orleans.
From the New Orleans Times
CHAPTER 1.
The soft breezes whispered through the
willows and reeds which grid the lakeshore
at Spanish Fort. The setting sun sank
slowly to rest beneath the horizon, and the
silvery bosom of the Pontchartrain g)im-
mered bright in its crimson rays. Upon a
bench, facing the murmuring waters, sat
two lovers. One was maiden fair to see,
the belle of Tchoupitoulas street, and her
name was Alice Vaughn -McRafferty. She
was tender maid of about twenty, and
upon her mobile countenence freckles the
size of peanuts roasted in issolated groups,
Her luxuriana hair, bright as an auction
flag, streamed loosely down her back like q
tangled mass of seaweed. Alice was
daisy in the meadow.
Henry" she said, speaking with difficult
ty, as the set Of false teeth which she had
borrowed from Mrs. Mike O'Smythe who
lives in the Tenth ward, was two sizes
smaller than the one she was having re-
paired, "Henry, my own darling" she said,
will you always love ME as now?' Henry
De Gray, her lover, who was q blue-eyed
butcher from Vaudeville, replied in tender
accents;
Il will, fair Alice, I will" The stars
peeped out and smiled. The lonely snipe
sang sadly in the dismal swamp, and the
two lovers were happy.
CHAPTER II.
1t was grand ball given in the elegant
mansion of Captain Mulcahy, who runs a
charcoal schooner in the basin. In the
conservatory, half hidden among the foil
age of the rare cxotics, sat Alice Vaughn
McRafferty, pale and careworn, with the
trace of tears upon her cheeks.
Suddenly she was reused from her rev.
cry by the voice of her bosom friend, Julia
Martin, inquiring: why are you not in the
parlor dancing the racquet"
wrist of her friend, "where is that slab
sided galoot, Henry DeGray?"
"Hark! Alice" replied Julia, do you
hear the lovely strains of the heel and toe.
He is there dancing the happy hours away
What sort of a lay out is he prancing
with, Julia?"
Il know not the name of tho damsel,
Alice"
Julia, =" inquired Alice in husky tones,
lis she tacky- looking thing with ma
room colored nose shaped like a cucum-
ber?"
"Yes."
rs she hip shot and hump shouldered?"
"She is.
"Oh! the horrid wretch, It's she, Ellen
Gillhooly, my rival. I will be reveneed.
I swe-a ar by the bright moon above me that
I'll be revenged on Henry De Gray. Ere
the flowers Of summer fade and the au-
tumnal winds rustic the sele and yellow
leaves, III marry the sucker who drives the
ice-cream cart. He got mashed on me last
week."
CHAPTER III.
Alice Vaughn McRafferty arose, rubbed
her cheeks With rouged rag and catered
the supper room where the merry dancers
had assembled to devsstate tho meats and
pastry.
Her eyes cleaned with strange light,
and spasm Of pain shot athwart her coun"
tenance when she saw Henry De Cray lean
ing over the chair Of Ellen Gillhooly. his
head 30 close to Ellen's that his brindle
moustache swept her cheek. Alice got as
mad as q scalded tom cat but she concealed
her emotions and The next moment her rip
ping laugh rang through the supper room
and echoed far out into the gloomy recesses
of the wood she'd.
Alice was the gayest of the gay. Alice
was the belle of the ball, the candle around
which the giddy moths of fashion futtered
in an ecstasy of delight, only to be signed
in the flames. In the vast throng which
applauded her sparkling repartee no oneg
dr. amed that yawning at her feet was
deep chasm of misery.
No one knew that the banker worm grief
was knawing at her heart strings. No one
knew that under the folds of her polonaise'
was concealed a second handed hustle
which she had bought at auction. Again.
We say, no one knew, and such WAS the ro<
nance Of Alice Vaughn AeRa6ssty.