Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-09-21


child; he is too grave and old-fashioned.
| and does not believe in married ladies'
having any beaux but their husbands. I
pray you will not ask him; he would be
| bored to death at the mention Of such a
/ thing"
| Clare breathed more freely-the propo-
sition came near destroying her equanimi-
ty.
While they were talking the door-bell
/ rang, and Mr.. Montague was announced.
''ShOw him in" said Mrs. HoughtOn to
/ the waiter who handed her his card, 'Ewe
/ Will be down presently"
Her first salutatiOn to him on reaching
| the parlOr was:
''YOu are the very one we wanted to see.
We were just talking of going to see sRo-
meO and Juliet and wanted a fourth one
| to make up the quartette."
''GOu know | am always ready when
I there is any amusement on hand,v he re-
/ piled. Eve will find full and fashiona-
bic audience there, but that is all. The
! performance VIII have no attractions for
the corps is very Indifferent one; the ac-
tors are only second o; third rate; Il
least they will appear such to you who
have frequented Partisan theatres"
Frank said he understood there were
star actors here"
Mr.. Montague shrugged his shoulders
| significantly.
anyway, we are going," said Mrs.
| HOughtOn, land you are to accompany
u.s."
'Tell Jack to hurry the SUPPER she
I said to her maid, "and send to the count
/ ing-rOOm and ask AIr. HOughtOn to please
I come up early to tea as we are going to the
theatre. 1t is so long since L have been,
would like to 90 early and see the people
as they come in and take their seats and
| observe their toilets"
They went early, as they thought, to the
/ theatre, but the house was pretty well
| filed when they got there. They were
scarcely seated in their box ere they were
surrounded with gentlemen. Mrs. Hough-
/ toms tOndness for gay company was well
understood, and there were plenty O.
young men who delighted to be seen in
/ her circle, but the rare and striking beau
/ ty Of her Creole niece, together with the
I tales which had been circulated of her
! almost fabulous wealth, sWelled the num-
/ Der Of her followers.
1t was ClaTe's first introduction to such
| a scene, and she was bewildeTed with its
/ novelty no less than with its glare and
] glitter. The fashionable attire, the gay
/ and laughing groups and the many beau
/ tiful faces-tOr when did a crowd of peO-
| pie in full dress and with all the appli-
I ances of art and fashion brought into re-
/ QUESTION ever appear otherwise than
/ beautlfuly-engrOssed her wholly, leaving
| her no time to bestOw on the gentlemen
! that were fluttering around her, not even
| during the interval between the acts whe
I the curtain was down. While the play
| was progressing she gave it her whole in
I dividual attention. She was fascinated
| with the mimic life, and entered into it
I as il il had been reality. 1t was in vain
| that one and another addressed frivolous
| questions TO her-she was utterly Oblivi-
Gus TO them. To Frank alone she made
herself agreeable, and to him she could
talk of nothing but the performance.
1t is quite delightful to see such fresh
ness" said Mr.. Montague, addressing
Mrs. HOughtOn. Neither you nor claim
to be old folks, vet cannot remember the
day, and doubt ifyOu can. when we either
of us took such interest in a play
4 was never enthusiastic like Clare
about anything. She enters into every
new enjoyment with all her heart"
Although Mrs. HOughtOn would not
hear of such a thing as asking Mr.. LIE
Verrier to go with them from the fear
he would be bored, yet he was there not
withstanding.
A young lady from the country, Miss
Gordon, was visiting his mother, and he
had taken her there that night, thinking
the scene would be novel and interesting
to her. She was not less delighted with
was glad that she was so absorbed in en-
jOyment of the play, for it gave him an
opportunity to watch Mrs. HOughtOn's
boz, which was opposite to the one in
which he sat. He enYied Frank the
privilege of sitting so near to Clare, and
having all the attention she could spare
directed to him. How blest he must be
in her love, but was he worthy of her?
He was pleasant and goOd-natured, and
had as few bad habits as any young man,
We. he lacked character, and was so inferi-
or to her; at least so he considered him.
He watched every look and act and mo-
tiOn of her during all that evening, and
memory went back to those happy hours
when ii was his Joy to hang over her and
listen to the rich breathings of her noble
nature. Would that he could live over
again tho e delightful hours, He thought
how churliSh it would appear in him not
to call on her and her mother; what a
poor return for the elegant hospitality
which they had dispensed to him when
he was in their neighborhOOd. Then he
resolved that he would call, but moment
after he changed his mind. He could not
90 there and be witness to the happiness
she and Frank were enjoying.
And how was il with her who had
created the arrangement between these
two loving hearts? Felt she aught of
conjunction? On the contrary she
glOried in it. She was well skilled in
reading the human heart; she knew that
Clare was miserable; knew that she felt
for Frank only a Cousins kindness; that
there was no engagement between them,
and no possibility of any; yet she willfully
and deliberately told Mr.. lie Nerrier that
the time for their nuptials was fixed, and
that she only came to New Orleans to
have her bridal rousseau made up, which
he could readily believe after caShlng the
enormous amount spent with her mOdiste.
At the same time on all occasions when
Miss Thompson met Glare, she pretended
even to her to credit this tale which size
had herself manufactured, and would
speak to her of Frank as if he were al
ready hers in everything but name.