The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1888-06-15
MY FATAL DELAY.
A, Van Huysam in Love with His
Landlady's Daughter.

When IL hired lodgings at Nine.
Hampton's, had no idea that she
owned so precious thing as daugh-
ter Not that it would have made any
difference if l had known it. / had
become Indifferent to women; they
interested me only as q trivial study.
You will say that woman as study is
too dangerous, but it had never proved
so with me. In the meantime
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 l 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
coquotte, the clever and the designing;
but had forgotten their existence half
an hour later Nine. Hampton her
self never left her room; she was doubt
less dying, but she had been so long
about IL, and made so little circun-
stance about it, that nobody gave it a
n thought it would seem. She saw
her dodgers, and arranged terms, and
sent in the bills; and yet the house
and all its appointments seemed to
share the order of the planetary sys-
tenn. The motive power was madame's
daughter | involuntarlly pictured
her, since we always picture those
who appeal individually to us in any
way, us coarse-featured woman,
with "silvor threads among the gold, "
n face more or less wrinkled, a sharp
voice, big rough hands, and genius
for snubbing the servants and haggling
with butcher and baker.
On entering madame's room one
day in order so settle my account, ac-
cording to the custom of the house,
behold slender being before the open
fire, with one tiny hand on the mantel,
lavender morning-gown turned the
knot of yellow hair at the back of her
head, from which some curls escaped,
into pure gold. There was an air OF
luxury and leisure about her which
was simply delicious in view of the
facts.
My daughter" said madame, pres.
sently. Estelle, this is MIR. Van Huv-
sam; you have heard me speak of him. y
Estella turned q beautiful, naughty
face in my direction, bowed slightly
smiled vaguely, "1ndeed, l might
say have heard you speak of no one
else. Plainly, the old lady had been
singing my praises. and the young one
did not fancy the tune.
do not know what cord thrilled il
my heart at these words, in that soft,
minor voice, capable of all melody, O.
terse expression, nor how got myself
out of the room. A man who has re.
ceived fatal bullet in the breast does
not recognize the sensation, for the
reason that he has never experienced
it before; he does not know its
import. We met often after this,
always by accident, it would seem,
on the staircase. in the hall, ane
finally one night made so bold as t.
knock at the door of her music-room
She welcomed me with her naughty
cordially, if haughtiness can be cor
dial There were three or four young
men already in possession. but she
placed her seat near my own, ant
while she anon threw out javelins O
wit for the general benefit, l received
the lions share of attention. This wa.
tlattering to my araour-propre. Blu
still, whenever I repeated my call
had always to wrestle with handful
OF younger men for the supremacy.
must confess that before | reached thi
point | had been obliged to wrestl'