The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1883-03-01

~as one Of the officers Of the regimens is
which this COMPANY belonged, He eseemed
transf1ca by the sight Of this fair young
girl with The modest face, who sat and
looked Oh while the rest danced. and his
gaze at last vas so steady and hxed that
IN some indennable way tho unsuspcct.
4 ing child raised her eyes and met his look
OF eager regard one OF those subtle aud
electric flashes, that never has and never
/ will be explained, even by the proioundesi
sagant in the world. passed from his eyes
10 bers, or from hers to his. but however
il was, IL awoke the maiden's heart, TIL
then unfelt, and she loved the stranger.
With a silent. reserved nature like hers
such love would never be suspected,
and be did not know the power he had
called TO life pewer OF loving IN an
innocent heart.
The ball progressed, aud still Mettie
staid by the side Of the white robed girl,
and tried to interest her by his talk, but
she had suddenly lost interest in what he
bad to say. and at last even he began to
feel that he was making no impression.
aud he felt bis courage oozee to such an
extent that he decided to go to the bar,
aud perhaps lie could gain there little
Inspiration to help him make = better I'M;
preston. At the bar there we're fifteen or
twenty men who hailed him with delight
for they wished to get an introduction to
his pretty partner, for the rude etiquette
Of those times was that unless lsdy's esr
cort gave consent none dare ask her to
dance. Mettie was coaYed and persuaded
to drink one glass after another, and
though he had hard head, he began to
feel the effects and began to grow stubborn
and abusive as hints we're thrown out tow
ard the end they desired. Finally he be-
gan to grow maudlin and drew an intimate
friend outside on the little porch, there to
confide TO him that he had never before
cared for any one, and that there wasn't
another woman in the world that could
hold candle to her, and to rhapsodize on
her blonde beauty, her angelic purity, and
goodness knows what else, and wound up
by saying that he should make her his
wife in spite Of all the internal powers.
\ Scarcely we're these words out OF his
mouth, when with an imprecation in Span
ish, dark form sprang from behind the
rose bushes end plunged keen stiletto
into his neck. Again and again the sharp
knife descended, but Mettie bad not need
ed SO many. TIE first had severed the
jugular vein and he fell dead. One low
moan and another fell, and then they found
the corpses, that OF Mettie and Dolores,
the Spanish girl. who had loved him but
too fondly and well, and who, maddened
by jealousy, had taken the only means to
save her lover to herself.
This was looked upon as little by play,
and the men who knew OF it said nothing
to the women aud the ball continued Ma
nv was relieved that Mettie did not come
back, md after while, Jim aud her
brilliant rose crowned neighbor introduced
to her other, gentlemen in uniforms and
civilians dress, but she did not dance.
She preferred to wait, and soon the gen
tleman she had so desired to See came, and
then ''all was Joy and mirth" for her, and
her heart futtered like frightened bird,
and she was hardly able to answer. he
asked her to dance, but she told him that
she did not know how, that this was her
srst ball, and then he asked to be allowed
to show ber and in few moments she had
mas tered the polka, and she found JOY
in his arms that she had never dreamed OF,
while hey danced to the music that seemed
so sweet to her.
The pe utlesaan asked several questions
and finally said
eDo Won know believe we are relations
Onr names are tl4 same, and you looS
strangely lik an sunt Of mine, who mar
ried another tlliphant, % 6rst cousin. we
have habit of marrying cousins in our
family, and unl, sa | can fnd ssy aunt and
uncle, and they Happen to have daught
er. / am afraid shall die bachelor
What are the names of your parents'
IL cannot tell ,vou," said the cAAld.
stricken with sensation she could no
have defined. but which was native deliea
CIV and she sbrank with sudden fear Of
she knew not what, and she eylnced sneh
trepidation that he fore,ore topress her'
but determined to find out from some oth
er source, for he felt u sensation or seh'i
ment of growing affection towards tins sun
pie child, untaughi as she was, that maze
his heart ache at the thought OF separation
He thought of his gentle, loving mother
with half smile as he wondered how sue
would like daughter who had probaoiy
never heard OF grammar, and who ye'
was SO winsome aud sweet, and their eyes
met again in regard wherein there WI"
regret for the inevitable separation, and
both half sighed.
Soon the march before supper com
menced, and Col Oliphant led the pretty
child TO the laden tables. and he groapeo
iu spirit AS he saw that she b nd not even
learned what was etiquette there, bul h'
tried to console himself by thi mixing
"Ah, we'll, some day she viii marry
some ranchero. and certainly her msnnerr
are good enough for him, butyet that ide'
gave no true satisfaction, and when auPpe'
.raa ovnr and shn Lad danced once more