Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1889-06-01
DOWERLESS.
How the Lieutenant Won Promo
ton and Bride.


ton and q Bride.
When she entered the large drawing.
room to attend the Generals receptions,
her fresh, smiling face and pretty bare
shoulders drew amurmur OF admiration
from the group of officers gathered
around the doorways. Her mother,
majestic in the somewhat snowy toilet
OF woman who has spent most of her
lie In the provinces, followed, shaking
her white corkscrew curls proudly as
II saying: This is my daughterp'
Then came her father, a quiet, gentle
hammered, unassuming man, the Colo
mel OF the 123d, taking the utmost care
not to step upon the trains of the
dresses.
She had scarcely taken her seat ere
throng of captains and lieutenants.
the cream Of the garrison of Versailles,
tightly buttoned into their full-dress
uniforms some with fair and some with
dark mustaches some with bold and
eome with dreamy eyes, rushed forward
70 seize her ball card. Then, in the
golden glow Of the chandeliers, to the
music OF the band, she began to dance
lightly and gracefully, borne along in
the arms OF partners who eagerly strove
to please her. To them her wishes
were commands and her whims laws.
The Coloners daughter! In times of
speedy promotion a word of praise
carelessly uttered by her lips: what a
charming officer Lieut. So-and-so is, and
such capital waltzerp' might decide a
career. So by a tone of command,
half coquettish, half imperious, she
made them march as if they were on
drill
She led this gay life until she reached
her twenty-second year. moving from
garrison to garrison, with flags unfurl-
ed and trumpets sounding-a some
what nomadic existence. Her mother
began to show signs of impatience; she
would have liked to see her married.
But terrible barrier rose between the
young girl and the aspirants to her
hand, barrier inscribed with the word
"Dowerless!" And the officers fiirted
laughed, danced. but seemed to have
no thought OF marrying.
To please the coloneTs daughter suf-
tciently to win her good opinion was
IN excellent thing. To carry matters
TO the point of matrimony was quite
another song! And nobody appeared
disposed to learn the tune-at least no
one whose suit would have been well
coined. For, during a whole twelve
month, the young girl had had one
trembling. signing lover at whom she
ungratefully laughed.
de was tall fellow, with a russell
brown moustache and blue eyes, a ma
tive Of Lorraine and a pupil of Saint
Marcel. He had entered the army at
IL. been wounded at the battle of Coul-
miers and wore the medal bestowed for
gallantry. But, as he had not gradu-
ated at Saint Cyr, he was coldly treat i
ed. OF peasant lineage, he was strong
and vigorous, taciturn by temperament,
though very we'll informed. Perfectly
nt home on the battle-ground, he was |
out OF his element in the drawing
room. Though an execrable dancer.
the fear of seeming uncourteous had
Induced him to secure the young girl
Tor partner, on which occasion he had
made such muddle OF the figures of
The Boston that the most experienced
eye would never have recognized it.
This luckless trial sufficed; rather than
lace those jeering glances again he
would gladly have marched up to a
battery.
Hidden in a window niche, he spent
hours in watching the object OF his
adoFation, as she danced with bewitch-
ing vivacity, following her with his
syes amid the whirling throng. Some
lines he summoned up courage to ap-
proach her mother and formally nav
ais respects. but this was the height OF
ais audacity- He watched his COM
AIDES obviously as they lowered around
ihe young girl saying to himself: zone
Il these days news Of her approaching
to one Of these gentlemen
vill be told at the mess-table and all
yill be overI' He had fts OF over
ghelmine despair at times in the cheer
sss atmosphere Of his furnished lodg-
ngs. He tried to reason with himself.
Vas he not mad to think OF this spoiled
hid Of lVxuryp She was destined for
be soioxs Of some noble family, not for
poor. ponniless officer. Yet his
aoaghts constantly turned to her.
'urIne The aieeplcss hours of the night
3 heheid her whirling lightly and
ailg through the mazes Of the waltz.