The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-03-10

heightened"
..Did you wish very much to see Miss
Churchili?' asked the young lady.
"Were you very much interested in
her?''
mot st ALL cried Tregarthen,
eagerly. II had forgotten her-until
heard the voice
"Were you disappointed when you
found that it was only-me?'
| "Only your said the lover, and
! would not condescend to add to that
simple but sufficient disclaimer, except
BY possessing himself first of her hand
and then of her waist. For awhile she
| bent her head and refused to allow him
to steal the merest glance at her face,
but by and by she turned upon him
gently and gazed full in his eyes for a
moment, while her figure yielded itself
more freely to his embrace. and NO
longer repulsed him by its rigidity.
If l had turned out to be- Miss
Churchill" she asked him, ''should
, you-' She paused, but the very
silence vas eloquent
Have loved you?" said Tregarthen
"No. could not have fallen in love
with an actress 1t seemed to him
that there might be touch of jealousy
in the appeal, and he was in the mood
to be tender to all loves fancies how
ever shadowy and unreal they might
be.
"Why not?" she asked. ''There are
many good women who are actresses,
surely"
NO doubt" he answered. lightly.
I MANY. But you rub the bloom from
the peach if you handle it ever SO gent
ly. An actress gains something more
than most women hope for or care for.
but she must be content to lose some
.hing-a delicacy--a lineness which is
not so easy to describe, but means
much to man with any refinement OF
mind
He was far from being actually dis
honest in saying this, and yet he was
precisely honest. Left to himself and
his own Judgment he would not have
thought these thoughts, at all, but the
fancy that his betrothed had that vision
airy jealousy of the actress moved him
to make the jealousy impossible.
But if you had met her, and, had
fallen in love with her." said the girl,
"and then found that she was an act
ress-that would have made 10 differ
ence to you?'
Yes" he said, gravely, as if consid-
ering the matter. - serious differ
ence.
Il fancied men thought differently"
she said, with some little heat of scorn.
81 fancied that they did not altogether
care SO much for those of us who live
in the little grove OF household cares
and small accomplishments. and silly
joys and sorrows"
Il shall ask you to achieve no out-of-
doors greatness, Tregarthen an
swered fondly; though YOU are more
lit to shine in the worlds eye than any
other woman now alive The young
man was not q fine Judge OF verse, and
it was natural to think the Laureate's
outpourings inferior to those of the
woman he himself was in love with.
''Be as great as you will, but shine at
home, my dear; and let me worship
YOU"
That was a pretty programme, and
the girl found no fault with it as it ap-
piled 20 her own prospects. But she
had rather-how much rather-that her
future husband should have thought
better of Miss Churchill's profession. 1t
was clear that he suspected nothing,
imagined nothing, but it was pain to
have a secret, though it were as harm
less as her own. For Miss Churchill,
though an actress, was IS pure as q
daisy, and nobody knew better than
Miss Farmer how little evil the stage
had taught her, though there are mill
ions who know infinitely better how
much evil it has the power to teach.
One unavoidable result came out OF
this conversation. Miss Farmer buried
Miss Churchill, and resolved that the
actress should know no resurrection.
But then Gas people unfairly or secretly
entombed with fears and suspicious
hanging about them have a prescript-
tive right to do) Miss Churchill as
sumed ghost-like airs and revisited the
upper world and peopled the sexton's
life with unreal terrors. Trcgarthen
had taught the girl to love him. She
had been an apt and willing pupil, and
had learned to love him well. She was
Of large and generous nature, affec-
tionate rather than passionate, but in
clined to cling to the object of her
affection with lifelong tenacity. There
are few women who would not have
kept her innocent secret rather than
run the risk of losing q lover. And
Tregarthen was the one man in the
world to her, as q woman's first love
always is-the one possible idol. The
mere thought of losing him was cruel
beyond expression; the mere fancy that
she might sink his love was scarcely
bearable. She SO honored and rev.
erenced and love him that she was
forced to deceive him. That is not
good morality, but is admirable femi-
nine logic.
The courtship went on, and Gorbay
and the county beyond the limits of
Gorbay discussed it, aud on the whole
were content with it. Tregarthen
might have looked higher in spite of
those old regimental escapades of his.
for the last scion of one of the oldest
houses in that part of England, where
houses are so amazingly old, might
think himself almost any mans equal.
He was not millionaire, but he had
enough, and he was unusually person
able. Everybody was persuaded that
the match, from Miss Farmer point of
view. was all that could be desired
Within niue months of their first
snepch with zach afhar tho 1,aunnr no II.