The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1888-07-06
An Unsnspected Heroine.

An unsupported Heroine.
When I hired lodgings at Madam Hamp.
toms, l had no idea that she owned so pre-
cious a thing as a daughter. Not that it
would have made any difference if l had
known it. Ihad become Indifferent to women;
they interested me only as a trivial study.
You viii say that woman as a study is too
dangerous, but it had never proved so with
me. In the meantime l neither sought nor
avoided them; those whom fate threw in my
way l placed under my mental microscope,
not caring much for what it revealed. My
indifference, however, did not arise from any
lost illusions. ! had never been in love, and it
never occurred to me that the thing was
possible. l had been on friendly terms with
blonde and brunette, with the prude and the
coquette, the clever and the designing; but !
hadforgotten their existence half an hourlater.
Madam Hampton herself never left her
room; she was doubtless dying; but she had
been so long about it, and made so little cir
eumstance about it, that nobody gave it a
thought, it would seem. She. SEW her dodgers
dllu AAdbSCA NGIliS, LIZ bbhblh tub Dlllcl uLlu
yet the house and aIIits appointments seemed
to share the order of the planetary system.
The motive power was madam's daughter.
~involuntarily pictured her, since we always
picture those who appeal, individually to us
in anyway, as acoarse-featured woman, with
"silver threads among the gold" a face more
or less wrinkled, q sharp voice, big round
hands, and q genius for snubbingt the servants
and haggling with the butcher and baker.
On entering madam's room one day, in
order to settle my account, according to the
custom Of the house, behold d slender being
before the open fire, with one tiny hand on
the mantel, while a lavender morning gown
turned the knot of yellow hair at the back Of
the head, from which some curls escaped. in.
to pure gold. There was an air Of luxury
and leisure about which was simply delicious
in view of the facts.
my daughter said madam presently.
"Estelle, this is Mr.. Van Huysam; you have
heard ne speak Of him
Estelle turned a beautiful, naughty face IN
my direction, bowed slightly, smiled vaguely
Indeed / might say / have heard you speak
ofno one else Plainly the old lady bad
been singing my praises, and the young lady
did not fancy the tone.
lido not know what chord thrilled in my
heart at these words, in that soft minol
voice, capable Of all melody, Of that terse ex
preston, nor how | got myself out Of tht
room. Aman who has received o fatal bull
let IN the breast does not recognize the sen
sation, for the reason that he has never ex
perienced it before; he dies not know its i'm
pGrt. We met often after this, always by nc
| client, it would Seem, on the staircase, ia thu
hill, aud finally one night made SO bold al
I'd knock at the door Of her MUSHROOM
She welcomed mo with her naughty cordial
| ity. if haughtiness can be cordial.
There were three or four young men already
in possession, but she placed her seat neal
my own, and while she anon threw out jaYe
Inns Of wit for the general benefit, / receiveS
the lions share of attention. This was fat
L tering to my amourpropre. But still, when
ever l repeated my call, ! had always K
wrestle with a handful Of younger men 70
the supremacy | must confess that before
reached this point ! had been obliged t.
wregtle with myself to overcome prejudice,
Van Huysam In love with his Iandlady'
daughter was an anomaly. What would M,
family and friends say IN such an affair
With what eyes would they regard it3 Wha
would Miss Douglass think, for whom ! hal
been destined, but who had been q hobblede
hoy girl Of thirteen when / had last seen her
or course she could care nothing for me; i
would be a wound TO her vanity at the most
/ had never intended to marry her; 4 hal
never consented, in fact; that bony, sh.
schoolgirl, with the big eyes and the lam
figure, had never appealed to me-: had neg
er been able to forgive her for stammerinl
and blushing.
Besides, there had been some rumor tina
the coolers Of the family had suffered durinI
their sojourn abroad, and | had lost sight 9
them through their " negligence. Bnt
landlords daughterl The idea would withe
only laughs at locksmiths, but at ones y
lptions. When summed myself N Estelle,
presence, 1 cEted no more for the world