The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-02-17
BY TIE GATE OF THE SEA.
By David Christie Murray,
AUTHOR OF "a MODEL FATHER, "a LIES
AToNEMENT," ETC.
CHAPTER /.

1t was III the days OF inc IasU oy uasly
of the dandies, and anybody under the
age of thirty who spoke with the accent
of Christian, pagan or man could
scarcely be accounted gentleman.
! 'Shc is fame creachaw," said the
Captain-"a davylish fame creachaw-
an exceptionally fame creachaw.
The Lieutenant echoed the Captains
enconium, and the pair struck into
formidable attitudes at the porch Of the
theater. Little knots of country peo-
pie gathered on the other side OF the
road and surveyed the two gentlemen.
who were attired in evening dress, and
knew Themselves to be objects Of inter-
est and admiration. NJ. Gibus had just
given to the world his famous inven-
ton, and the two military gentlemen,
who were in the van and foremost of
fashion. had adopted it. The Captain
was fully seif-possessed under the adj
miring gaze of the yokels, but the Lieu
tenant so far yielded to natural weak
ness as tC take off his hat and tlatten
it against his breast. 1t was done with
an admirable air of absent-minded
habit, and it amazed the bystanders
The Lieutenant felt that he made a tell
ing figure; but when he released the
springs and the hat fled back into its
former shape he was betrayed into a
smile Of triumph at the sensation he
created, and from that moment he be-
came self-conscious and embarrassed,
insomuch that his 1egs-which were
commonly his strong point-became
trouble to him. The passing by of
friend at such moment seemed almost
providential, and the Lieutenant spraug
into the gaslit street with renewed COM
posure.
"Holto, Tregarthen! How dye doP
Quite an age since we saw you. old
fellow. Here's Harcourt. Have you
seen Miss Churchill She's fame
creachaw an except oually fame
creachaw, pom my word"
The Captain smiled at this echo of
his own conversational felicities The
Lieutenant, as he knew, was fellow of
no originality.
NO" said Tregarthen; Il haven't
Actress" replied the Lieutenant,
successfully initiating the Captains
drawl. Playing here now. Dayvilish
faine creachaw, pom m honor. Come
in and look at her. Harcourt and |
have box here. No ladies with us.
Doesn't matter that yaw not dressed.
Come along, there's good fellow"
The new conner allowed himself to
be persuaded, and the three entered the
theater together. 1t was small house,
but too large for its audience, and all
its tinsel was shabby as well as tawdry,
and most of the glass globes around
the dress circle were Clipped and
broken. An impossible old Adam
doddered and differed off the stage,
Humping the boards with staff like
the prop of clothes-line, and q burly
Orlando followed him with calves in bis
ankles. Then the scene shifted, and on
came dissipated Touchstone, in Sec
ond-hand garments, and q dowdy
Celia, and between them Rosalind in
doublet and hose. 80 Jupiter!'
sighed Rosalind, chow weary are my
spiritsn Something knocked at the
heart of Count Tregarthen, He had
never before listened to such voice,
and its tones went through him like
delicate fire. Touchstone Jared in
with his answer, and Rosaiind spoke
again: "I could find it in my heart to
disgrace my mans apparel and to cry
like q woman. 1t was downright
pitiftil, and yet there was touch of
in, R,,f T
the weaker vessel, as doublet and hose
ought 10 show itself courageous to pet
ticoat.' " The comedy shone out there
with tender brilliance. " Therefore,
courage, good Alienan" To one
listener there was such a womanly
courage, solicitude and friendship in
the phrase, and in the lovely voice that
spoke it, that his eyes dimmed and his
heart stuck in his throat. Cornet Ire
garthen was but two-and-twenty, and
youth is sometimes impressionable.
RoSaind, in spite of the fatigue which
evidently sat upon her, was as straight
and 1.-the as the stalk of lily, and She
had q voice like silver bell The Cor
net was short-sighted, and her features
were dimly seen, but he fancied them
lovely. An older and more experienced
man might have been excused for the
fancy, with such voice and such tig-
ure on which TO base it.
His companions expressed their adj
miration for the actress in their own
way, but he scarcely heard them. Even
when Rosalind was absent from the
stage he had but inatteutive ears for the
Captain anu the Lieutenant. and he an
swered them when they addressed him
with an absent "Yes" or NO" or q
dreamy nod.
"Tregarthen, said the Captain, has
gone spoons on the Churchill"
The Lieutenant nodded and booked
the statement for future use. Its chaste
simplicity and directness charmed him,
an. he resolved to repeat it to Rylands
at headquarters if he saw him before
Harcourt did.
The play was over, the curtain was
down, and the sweet voice dwelt in ire
garthen's ears. IBID me farewell"
said the sweet voice in the last words of
the epilogue. 1t sounded personal to
HIM, and there was pleasant, gentle
sadness in it.
when do. you join us at headouar-
ters, Tregarthen?" asked the Captain.
you must find it most intolerably dull
eherc yaw staying, eh?"
Il am ordered to rejoin tomorrow,
said Tregarthen. Hazel tells me that
Colonel Pollard will be there. I have
not seen him YETI
No said the Captain; "old
Polly's been on sick leave at Etretat-
cursed little village somewhere on the