The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1886-10-30

OnOA i OOlODIxS COs
when I first began hearing Of Miss
Weston, the greatest beauty OF Los
Angeles? First, my sister wrote me
about her, but I tore those letters up
aud refused to answer them. Then the
subject became club talk, and fellow
who had been down to Los Angeles
and seen the beauty was the idol OF
dinner party one whole evening.
deserted the club. The papers soon
took up the subject, and had to 60
without my morning news. Somehow,
her name had made me tremble from
the first.
My sister was intimate with the
Westons, and I gave up Q visit 10 her
on that account. felt sinking sensa-
tion in my heart whenever her name
was mentioned; 1t was fate's premoni-
ton, I thought.
But 60 where I would, do what I
might, could not escape hearing her
name, and always her praises were
sung extravagantly. In the midst OF
this, while I was seriously considering
the question of escaping what ] felt to
be an impending doom by trip to the
islands, I received . letter from my
sister, which had the following post
script:
sBv the way, forgot to tell you that
the Westons will be Ia San Francisco
soon. Now, donv be bear about this
matter, but call on them aud show
Miss Weston some attention. They
have been veyy kind to me; done
everything for me socially, and, Of
course, will expect my brother to at
least call on them. You kuoN how
particular I am about the convention
alities, 40 don't naortVy me to death by
being q brute. Don't dream that ! am
imposing an sslsicti0n on you, for Miss
Weston, In addition to being an heiress,
is considered by good judges to be the
haudsomest woman In the world to-
day, aud will be raging belle before
she has been in San Francisco two
weeks SO If you want to be seen with
her at all you had better putin your
time before others monopolixe her"
AS soon as had read the eisterly
shot the last sentence contained, sent
out and bought ticket to Honolulu.
The steamer was to sail the next day.
telegraphed my sister, and dressed
for farewell dinner at the club and
an evening at the opera.
You all remember that night. Patti
trilled on and trilled of the stage, but
she never succeeded in drawing half the
fire Of the opera-glasses from the stage
box In which the Weston sat. I had
not settled in. my seat before heard
that they were there. They were de-
cidedly the sensation Of the evening,
as every one knows, and the people
whose box they occupied were voted
to have made the lucklest hit of their
lives by capturing the Westons for the
night. AS tor me, ! refused to turn
my glasses once toward the box, but
at Intervals of two or three minutes
would slyly press my pocket In which
had slipped my steamer ticket az q
sort OF talisman against all attempted
spells. I nervously congratulated my.
self upon my heroism In having de-
cided upon the trip and my strength
in reirainiDg from looking at the
tempter in the box. l thought once Of
quitting the theatre to prove to myself
how very strong was, but ! after.
ward thought that would rather be a
confession of weakness, and stayed to
the end.
I became separated from my COM
panions In front of theopera. house, and
was standing still, trying tolocate them
when not very refined but exceeding
ly jolly voice, with German accent,
exclaimed in my ear:
rThis is Mr.. Hobbs, ain't it? Yes ;
thought was right. You were point
ed out to US in the theatre-to me and
Mrs. Weston. Get right inside here
that's right; Palace Hotel, driver; this
is my wife and daughtr, Hr. Hobbs
but it's confounded dark you can't sec
anybody"
While all this was being said, pretty
much in one breath, found myself
pushed into carriage and jammed
into seat by the side of-Miss Wes
ton One wild determination to jump
through the glass Of the carriage and
run for my life crossed my mind, and
then left me in desperate, absolute calm
It was my doom! It had overtaker
me. Why resist ? With the coolnes'
of one who rests resigned In the hand
of fate, murmured the proper conven'
| fioual lies ahoul nv exc0ssive pOOd for