Mexico weekly ledger., 1885-12-24

with Il demme smile.
"A thaw Bah! Neither thaw nor
fruet should delay a lover. | admire
no. this cousin OF yours, ma1temoiSeIie-
A man may be q la-gard IN all things
but love. He has no heart he deserves
not his good fortune. Pardieu! we're l
III his place ="
His voice sank so Suddenly that no
body but Slom. Clbpt heard the
remainder Of the sentence.
The French officers drank the health
of the the bride eject at dinner, aid alon
that of the dilatory bridegr ON.
1t was afterward remembered that the
Judges daughter spoke little and ate less
at the meal. De Ferval. on III. contrary,
was very gay-the life Of the table, III
fact.
Cheerfully the great hickory logs
snapped on the hrazan fire dogs; brightly
their Light played over panetei wall and
stiff furniture, and the long table groan-
ing with good cheer.
The grave old judge wore 4 placid ex-
terror. bul inwarlly he vas i'll at ease.
"Where can Z It rascal Gabriel be-
muttered to himself.
"Merciful Heaven! Why doesn't c.
briel Gomez" fretted Aunt Dorothy blt
| the cSpttEtu DFltGIEuD'b iStiIt Nv
Flip followed the dinner. Judge
Cabot's black boy. Ishmael, bron-ht in
| the silver tankari Is, also a tray with thu
! liuu1r, sugar and spice. These he placed
before his master, who was an expert at
| componnding the then famous mixture.
After this tshmael took from a closet
in the chimney an iron loggerhnad, and
thrust it into the red Goals of fire.
The French officers looked on curious
ly.
"Hark!" cried Aunt Dorothy. Surely
/ hear horse hoOfs at the door"
The French commander smiled.
at is only the wind, madame, blowing
to fill the sails of the Terrible as she
leaves your hospitable harbor."
Aunt Dorothy gave a joyful start.
DO you depart SOM"
Alas. this very night, madame
Immediately upon my return to the
ship"
THANK Goi!" were the words that
trembled on Aunt Dor0thy's ngue but
she had the civiiity to suppress them.
Her face, howe er, betrayed her salts
faction.
"Christmas Eve, That is a propitiou,
time surely, for your Departure she
said. and whittier do you go??"
"D;rectly to France"
Did SaIOma know? Did she care?
The girl was near enough to hear the
conversation. but she did not appear Il
be listening. Her eyes were cat down
her fair face, in the li4ht OF the hickory
logs, wore a cold, l~i5tiess iOGx.
Il leave this pleasant Portsmouth with
many regrets" signed the gallant French
man. Il assure YOU. | can " forget
the place or the people"
And the people, | dare say, viii
never forget you. | wish vou a gooC
VOYAGE answered Auat Dorothy. ga
~ciously.
Judge Cabot plunged the red hot log
gerhead into the tankards. and plsseG
the flip to the French eff GERS.
Very cautiously they drank OF thu
liquor. De Ferval scarcely touched hi,
lips TO it. Perhaps this colonial mixture
was not to his taste. or maybe a sudden
glimpse of Sukey's brown face at the
door a d a gesture which the slave wo.
man made dauntn him.
But the judge. with little effort, tossed
off one mugtul AMI then another of tt.t
ardent beverage.
Aunt Dorothy also drank Of it. wincin.
a great deal, however, and remirkin.
that it seemed uncomnonly strong.
This fact wa 500 made apparent by
the judges strange behavior. lie stuck
the iron loggerhead into his velve'
waistC0at. like a nuSegay: he attempted
TO drive his stately. bewigged head mt
the empty tankards, calling the while OF
the French officers to 90 at0nce in searcl
of Gabriel.
"You'ii find his law office IN Puddlc.
Lane, near King Street, Boston, b,
cried take my schooner laying at tn,
the wharf yonder--take the horses from
NV stables, and bring the young scoun
drel at any cost Twas ! who made tn
match, gentlemen-m. nephew, Gabrie
is the only man living to whom | vii
give my daughter, and my money. 1t j
now time for me to take nv after dime
nap. but when he arrives, wake me up
With a cry Salone Cabot sprang III
from her chair, ran to her father, an,
threw her white arms around his neck
The last thing seen by the jud-e's failin!
ewes was the face of his child. leaning
all pale AMI fearful, above his own h
felt her soft lips against his cheek, ther
his head fell forward on his breast, anC
he knew no more.
What awoke him an hour or so later
Not the arrival of Gabriel, but the erie;
and groans of Aunt Dorothy. He founC
her standing over him. an image o
fright and despair, while Ishnaei an,
the other servants. huddled together likt
sheep in the BACKGROUND.
shes gone p screamed Aunt Dorothy
shaking the Judge wildly by the should
ers, in order TO arouse HIM to the ful
horror of existing realities. "Saiome hal
gone with the French captain filed
with him on board the Terrible AnC
you are not drunk, brother, though yor
appear to be SO, no more than | Some
ody put a sleeping potion in the Flip
Ishmael says it was that wretched crea-
ture, Sukey, and che has gone, too, will
Salome. | believe all the servants ar,
alike guilty-they let the pair leave tn,
house while you and | sat helpless here
and put out 40 hand to stop them. Oh
what a disgracefui thing, brother =
what a wretched Christmas Eve !"
Judge Cabot staggered TO his feet. Hi
brain whlrled, his legs bent under hun
; "Salome !" ne echoed, stupidity, 'eon
i with the French commander |! You mus