St. Landry democrat., 1886-03-13

was gently thrust into the luxuriously-
cushioned chair, and my head fell back
limp and aching upon the velvet rest.
] did not know how long | sat there
with the low voices of the two men din
ming in my ears, but at last sensa-
ton of perfect rest and delight
stole over me- Through all 1oated q
vision of the lovely woman whose pic
ture had both delighted and tortured
my brain to madness, and hoped if [
were dreaming I might never waken.
This delightful repose was at length
disturbed by the sound OF approaching
wheels and the clatter of horses boots
upon the pavement. The sound came
RAPIDLY nearer and louder through the
open easement A dashing equpage
stopped in open sight before the OPP
posite house An unexpected vision
met my gaze, and my heart and pulse
seemed to stand still. In the beautiful
carriage, cleaning with silver para
phernalia, sat the woman whose SEM
blance had filled my heart and soul for
hours past. A white snood trimmed
with silver was picturesquely wound
about the head, while the wondrous har
fell bright as the silver fringe over the
shoulders and beautiful brow. She
turned her head, and the light OF a
smile shall never forget fell full upon
me. Then | noticed her companion
handsome, dark cavalier, with love
beaming in every glance he cast upon
! the fair face at his side.
:'Who is the man?' | asked, roughly
Selling Russell by the arm in my Jealous
rage.
1T is Lawrence Ashmore.
| .'Bv the. gods and furiesH With all
of the tiend incarnate there was in my
nature reused to awhite heat of passion,
[ grasped my revolver, and before my
companions could prevent the action l
had leveled it at my rival; there was a
sharp crash, and ball cut the air in
its murderous flight across the way. l
cried out in triumph as | saw my victim
fall. and then he and the fair woman
and all other objects faded from my
sight.
We were well out in mid-ocean be-
fore Russell ventured to so much as in
dulce in the ghost of smile at my ex-
pense. | had warned him that his body
Should be fed to sharks if any paintings,
tooth-ache, morphine, Or dentists were
referred to during the voyage. l had
no doubt the French dentist was still
roaring whenever he caught sight OF that
molar with its four-pronged implements
of torture, which he declared he should
always keep as souvenir of one of the
funniest professional episodes he had
. | IN, 7 did Of know For
time how matters had eliminated after l
left my hotel that bright September day.
But gathered at last from Russell that
he had found me in a sort of SEMI
insane condition before the portrait al
handsome woman whose charms my
distorted vision had idealized into those
of saint; that my nerves and brain
were thoroughly demoralized from the
combined influences of pain, morphine
and liquor Understanding my con-
dition and my horror of tooth-pulling,
he had decoyed me to the office OF a
prominent dentist. With difficulty they
subdued my insane rawlings and finally
administered an anaesthetic, and under
it's influence succeeded in relieving me
of a well-worn but tenaciously-cllng lng
tormentor. In my frenzy, as the tlnal
pull came with a crash, l grasped
pair of forceps and leveling them
at an imaginary foe, uttered wild yell
that would have delighted a Pawnee
warrior and rushed from my chair strlk-
ing right and left like Il frenzied demon.
It was some time before | was brought
squarelv to my senses, and made to I'M
derstand that blood-sta med and pros
trated though | was. [ was not the hero
of sanguinary conflict with favored
rival for fair lady's smiles; that the
brand of Cain was not upon my brow
and the stain of murder on my hand.
How much the memory of that beauti-
full picture, or the events connected
with it may have to do with present
circumstances of my life | can not say,
but certain it is that am confirmed
old bachelor, wear my store teeth with
immense comfort, and have no visions
,, of dentists Or women to modest or make
me afraid. Perle Perfume and Ash
more were married, and l have seen
them only at distance. In spite OF
Russell's many proffers Of an introduce
ton have never had the courage tt
meet them. The memory of that ole
imaginary one is still too vivid, toe
= painfully real Chicago Tribune.
An umbrella-dealer says that UNI
[ brellas will last much longer if, whe1