Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1886-04-15

but instead of handing her my own
card, gave her one Of Frank Smiths,
a young fellow rooming with me ut the
st. Charles, a drummer for large firm
| In Detroit. His name graced the card
in full, and also 'Trem0ine u Leeman,
! the name Of the firm he was connected
with IL was a foolish thing To do. yet
| never expected to see the young lady
again, and suppose it occurred to me
that it would be II good j Ike on Smith.
To my great astonishment. she rec
ognized the firm name.
You must come in and see my fatn-
er, hshe said. 'Mr. Tremoine is an old
friend of ours, and he will be SO delight.
ed to seq you
into what kind Of scrape had Igot-
ten myself ? | declined as cOurteously
as possible, trying to hasten away but
just then an old gentleman appeared at
the door, In answer to our ring at the
gate, for, as you rem msmber, in New
| Orleans most of the bells are on the
froni gate.
In few words the young lady eX-
! planned the situation. With true
Southern hospitality he invited me to
enter, thanking me in most voluble
terms for my hiudness to his daughter.
|
Seeing l would offend by not accepting
their invitation, stepped in with them.
| As usual in those French houses, the
hall leu into little barren looking
court. From this, however, we enter
ed into an apartment elegantly furnish
ed.
A servant took my umbrella and hat
and the old gentleman pushed forward
a handsome easy chair for me, seatin g
himself near me. The young lady dis.
appeared, reappearing in little while
in charming dinner-dress of garnet
satin.
i confess | was little dazsd by tn G
sudden turn affairs had taken, and the
tete-d tete with the old gentleman whose
name ascertained to be De Chartr
was most embarrassing, for he asked
me a score of questions about Detroit
and the people there, all of which |,
never having been in that city, was o.
bliged to answer at random, or from
vague "reminiscences Of what Smith had
told me casually.
Il tried in vain to turn the subject,
and had almost given myself up to a
desperate fibbing, when l chaneed to
perceive that piano was behind me.
During momentary lull in the con-
versation, in which De Chartre was
probably trying to reconcile my ram
bling information with his own knowl-
edge and conjectureS, L turned to the
young lady, requesting some music.
To my relief she consented immedi.
ately, thus saving her father from any
further surprises IN the way of chaotic
guessing on my part. She sang and
played quite prettily, and fouLd my
self even more prepossessed than had
been at first.
After she had played several songs, I
rose to 60, but as did so. dinner was
announced, and was urgently invited
by them both to remain. Again l saw
that to refuse would be to offend, so, in
order to preserve Smiths reputation
from further damage, accepted, re-
solving that 1 would exert my talents
to the utmost in being entertaining.
You see, wanted them to speak a
good word forSmith if ever they should
chance 10 communicate with this
Tremoine, whom | heartily wished at
the bottom Of the sea.
After dinner we adjourned to the
parlor-that is, the young lady an6 my.
self-the old gentleman going off for a
smoke. in which | declined to join hin
The rain, which had bean mild at
first, now turned into raging torrent.
1t beat ssyagely against the windows,
and the wind swept mournfully through
the court. Now and then it crept un-
der the doors and into the room, bring
| ing faint scent Of the orange blooms
that were being swept from their
stems on the bending trees without.
But the inclemency of the weather out
side only made the comfort and bright.
ness of the apartment seem more per-
feet.
with such a charming hostess the
moments sped swiftly. became more
| and more inthralled with her dark eyes
and her gracious manner, so typical of
| the grace which has made the Creole
women celebrated. | don't know to
| what length | might have committed
myself, had not the door opened and
Monsieur de Chartre once more appear
ed upon the scene. AS it was, l think
he surprised me saying some foUlishly
tender things to his daughter.
Il looked at my watch. A flush of
shame crept over me. 1t was past ten
O'Clock. felt that had infrnged on
| q