Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-03

, DEVILS own means, by all manner Of viii
lainies; but then one is not fool enough to
tell old Gaspard that, if one values ones
life" Victor winked and smiled dryly as
he said this, then after moment'gpause, he
continued, "You going to get acquainted
with him, Mo'sieu Orton. You think he'd
be very good acquaintance, eh?''
"Probably;..why not?"
Certainly, why not? I say that, too"
but there was an undermeaning TO Vietor's
fexibility. The shrug of his shoulders
and the expression of his eyes were full of
reservations and conditions. ''You are q
gentleman end he's gentleman" he went
on, sand I suppose you'll like each other,
certainly. That's all right, you know,
Mo'sieu, certainly; but the Ma'm'zelle
you'd better be careful about
The young man turned suddenly upon the
Creole at this point and almost scoWled at
him. Something in the fellows voice, soft
and musical as it was, grated harshly on
Orton's ear, probably because il broke in
upon the beautiful vision he had been i'm
agining. 1t was his habit to turn all his
thoughts into pictures, and he had been
sketching in his mind a most enchanting
bit of life and eoloS.
eyes, Mo'sieu," insisted Victor, you'll
have to let the beautiful Ma'm'zelIe quite
alone. tell you, for the old man WON'T
bear anybody looking soft looks at her.
Nonsense" exclaimed Orton, 'tyou are
talking perfect nonsense" Then feeling
the impropriety of the discussion he
changed the subject of conversation by
ordering his breakfast to be fetched up, that
he might sit in the open air.
He had chartered the little schooner Zozo,
with her crew, and since setting sail for Bay
st. Louis had heard great deal of the his
tory, or at least the so-ealled history. Of
Gaspard Rochon, the rich and eccentric
owner of Chateau de Rochon, as the sailors
had named the mansion. There was enough
of mystery in the story to stimulate curios-
ity, and at the same time the Creole narra-
tors had not failed to dash into it a great
deal Of glow and coler which added q pc
culiar charm for a temperament like Or
toms. Now, as he ate his fish and biscuit.
and slipped the excellent black coffee pre-
pared for him, his imagination made the
most of the picturesque mansion, the breezy
grove and the legend-like stories he had
been hearing. Already he was planning
the details of picture he would make, Of
which the central figures were to be Gas
pard Rochon, the rough and blood-thirsty
retired pirate Cor fugitive from the ven
geance of outraged society on account Of
other criminal pursuits) and his lovely
niece, the lily so extravsgantly praised By
the Creole sailors. He was in love with his
art, and therefore was not nursing any
youthful fancy, or hope, Of any tender ad-
venture with the maiden, or of any chival-
rous bout with her doughty uncle who
guarded her with such fierce jealousy and
prowess. Sketches, sketches, something
new and striking for his pencil, something
upon which he could wreck hislove Of color,
nothing else interested him deeply.
Victor, a typical Creole coaster, knew
everybody from the Rigolets to Biloxi. and
with the love of romance common to his
race had absorbed, so to speak, all the
legends, stories, anecdotes and folklore gem
orally current in the region. Heknew we'll
how to embellish these and there was moth
ing dearer to him than to have pipe Of
Cuban tobacco, a bottle of claret and q good
listener while he piled his gift of story tell
ing. In Orton he had found q charming
subject for his experiments in romance and
he had filed the young mans imagination
with all manner of wild and picturesque
glimpses Of new and very strange life.
81 should like to make sail when the tide
is on the turn" Victor said, as the artist
ended his simple repast, "and if Mo'sieu
wants TO 60 ashore I'll take boat and row
him to the house on the bayou. There's no
great time and it's good pull around the
point and up.
"All right, Victor, fetch. up my traps,''
responded Orton, rising, "the quicker the
better for me, for I'm as anxious to get rid