St. Landry democrat., 1884-05-31
OUT OF THE FRYING.PAN INTO THE
FIRE.

Neither tall nor short, neither dark
nor fair, with hair between blonde and
brown, and eyes that left doubt as to
whether they were gray or hazel. She
was Just such little bundle of uncer-
tainties and contradictions as led the
imagination captive at the first glance,
and offered constant lure to anticipa-
ton.
Whether she spoke or remained 81
lent, whether she walked or sat-. expec-
tation hung GREATNESS upon her next
word, her next pose. Her eyes, vary
ing as seemed their hue, shone, none
the less, with candid ray that seemed
the very light of truth. and her fresh
mouth, with its milky teeth showing
between the not too-smiling lips, ire
sistibly suggested the sweetest uses to
which lips can be put.
When the heavily moving vessel had
plowed through half the great Atlantic
rollers, and the few passengers had all
grown heartily tired of each other,
when she suddenly appeared for the first
time upon deck quite alone, yet calm
and self conferred as the small birds that
sometimes poised themselves upon spar
or bulwark to gather breath for fresh
flight.
It was Julius Hildar who had first dis
covered her, leaning against the COM
panionWay railing, with the air of hav-
ing just come up or down, he could
hardly determine which, looking alb
sently at the tumbling waves.
Julius and his friend, Austin Drake,
were seceders from gay party VINO had
made the tour of Southern Europe to-
gether. 1t was Julius who had insti-
gated his companion to desert the 9TH
ers and take the German steamer for
New Orleans direct, which then touched
at Havre, instead of crossing by a Gu
harder; and it had all grown out of the
obstinate determination on the part Of
his sister to attach her party to that of
Mrs Smollett.
Mrs. Smollett was his choicest aver
sion, a pretentious, intriguing woman,
in whom the matchmaking instinct had
been SO developed by the effort to es-
tablish her own five daughters that it
could not rest satisfied with the ac-
complishment of that gigantic task.
She seemed to have an endless supply
of nieees, adopted daughters, or prote-
ges of some sort, whom she dang1ed os-
tentatiously before the eyes of all eligi-
BILE bachelors She had improved a
chance meeting with Julius to announce
to him new acquisition, a lovely young
creature, whom she was taking home
with her from a Swiss Pension.
''Mr Smollett's own niece, MIR. Hill
der, and quite like my Fanny at her
age. You remember Fanny? She was
your first love, believe" she had said,
with her ogling dowager smile, and
Julius had felt himself seized at once
with an insurmountable aversion to the
fair young niece of Mr.. Smollet.
In the first heat of his indignation
against his sister he had conceived this
notable scheme of crossing by the Havre
steamer, and though it had not in its
development proved to be eminently |
he had never omitted to con-
yratulate himself and his companion,
night and morning, upon the good sense
hey had displayed in adopting it.
No chattering girls or designing
lowagerS, he would say, as he yawned
,ver his book or the dull game with
which they strove to believe they were
lmusing themselves, ''gires man time
o pull himself together and take ac-
,ount of stock, as it were. Still,
When on one of those aimless pilgrim
gees below which formed the only break
a the monotony of his occupation, he
lad nearly run over this pretty
Dung creature leaning against the rail
ngs, thrill of undeniable pleasure had
cursed along his nerves and he had
cit himself blushing with pleased sur
rise.
Fortunately, the sea-tan had rendered
he blush indistinct, but over the light
nat shot into his gray eyes the sea-tan
ad no power. nor yet over the tongue
nat stammered as he tried to convey
IS apologies for nearly upsetting her,