The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1889-01-19
WITHOUT A DOVER.

From THE FRENCH OF GEORGE oHSET.
When she entered the grand salon at
the sOirees OF the General, looking so
smiling and fresh. murmur of adm,ra-
ton ro,e fICm the groups of officers
gathered near the doors. Behind her
came her mother in toilet somewhat
queer and provincial in style, shaking
her cork screw cUrls of white hair, as if
to say: This is my daughter" And
her father, slender. gentle. modest Colo
mel of the 1:3d, followed, taking care
not to step on the trains of their dresses.
She was scarcely seated before a squad
of lieutenants and of captains, forming
the elite of the garrison of Versailles.
buttoned up in their full-dress uniforms,
with mustaches either light or dark.
with eyes either tim;d or bold, rushed
forward in a combined assault upon her
"carnet he bal, and in the golden light
of the chandeliers. to the sound of the
instruments, she whirled away, light and
graceful, carried round in the arms of
these young men, all of whom were
anxious to please her. For them her
dies res were their orders. her capriccs
their laws. Daughter of the Colonel,
Whenever the list of promotions was
prepared, word Of praise thrown out
careleSs}y by her such as: "Ah, Lieu
tenant So.and-so what 4 charming officer
and what a good waltzer,' was enough
to determine a whole career.
She had thus passed twenty-five years
of very happy life, making the round
of a the @arr;sons or France. and with
cOlors Tying and trumpets sounding,
/ living somewha- nomadic existence.
Her mother commenced to show a little
impatience; she would rather have seen
her married, but between her and her
suitors there was fearful barrier, upon
which were written these decisive words
without DOVER" And the officers
flirted, laughed and danced, but never
seemed to think of marrying. To please
the daughter of the Colonel in order to
obtain favors-very good! But to go as
far as maria. e-that was another thing ,
Not one of all of them seemed disposed
that way except certain timid and
! bashful Lieutenant, who for year or so
had loved her, but on'y succeeded in
! provoking her rIdicule. He was big
/ fellow with rcd musta he and blue eyes,
torn in Lorraine and educated at Saint
Maiyent. He had enlisted at the age of
/ eighteen years, was wounded in the bat
/ tie o. CoulmierS, and wore a military
! me ,al, but as he had not come from the
school OF SAINT Cyr the others held him
at Il distance. Born of peasant parent
age, he was robust and hearty, saying
/ little, although well educated. Very
brilliant upon parade, he was completely
lost in salon. He scarcely knew
/ how 10 dance. The fear of being
considered impolite had once impeled
HIM to invite the young girl to dance,
and he 20 mixed up the figures of the
Boston" that the others could not ex-
tricate themselves. This unfortunate
attempt was enough for HIM, and he
would rather have faced a battery in
action than to place h mself again in the
same ridiculous position. Concealed in
the recess of the window he gazed for
hours upon her whom he adored. Some
times he was so bold as to approach her
mother, and tremendously to pay her hi.
addresses, but that was the limit of hi:
audaclty. He saw with envy MS com
rades tlutterIng around her, strik nc
their attitudes and showing themselve
Oft to advantage. He said sadly to HIM
self:
lone of these days the news will b,
announced in the mess that she is going
to marry one of those gentlemen, and /
will he all over with me-"
He had moments of deep despair in tn,
icy stiffness of his room. He tried t.
reason. Was it not folly to think o
this spoiled hid, accustomed TO all tn,
surroundings of a luxurious lile2 Sh
was reserved for some son of dis
t'pgui,hed family and not for poo
! officer of fortune. But in spite OF him