The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-03-19

SE0LIAQGS. Tie SuII1L1GI AOu4CC "a ANS - L
ple from New Orleans, or the winter resi-
dences of Northern folk who come from
Chicago. ST. Louis and Cinainnatl to avoid
fhe bitter weather of those cold cities and
10 enjoy the balmy Caribbean breezes
and the never ending procession of flow
ers. The whole gulf coast, from Mobile
IN the Ripolets, is indeed another Riviera,
no far as climate is concerned, a region
hasking in the most grateful sunshine and
perfumes, blown over by salt gulf winds,
and by ~resinous winds from the far
reaching pine woods, high, dry, salubrious,
m very Eden for the tired and the sick in
winter and a luxurious bathing place and
resting-place for city-weary people in
summer. A broad beautiful road paved
with shells as white as snow, runs for a
dozen miles along the airy bluffs between
tbroad-armed oaks and cedars on one hand
and hedges of oleander and Cherokee
roses on the other. Eastward some ten
miles distant you see Ship Island, famous
in the military history of the coast, while
far southwark lies the curious crescent of
the Chandeliers. 1t is all very sweet
and quiet and peaceful now; but at the
time of which we write it was as wild a
nook as might be found in that widest
part of our country.
Orion opened his eyes, as if from a
heavy, bewildering sleep, and, looking
languidly around, saw some curious old
pictures on the walls of the room in
the middle of which, on a bed whose
heavy mahogany posts were hung with
Himsy curtains, he lay weak and helpless.
1t was night and two or three myrtle
wax candles filed the air with a peculiar
keen fine fragrance, and with a soft flick
ering, yellowish light. Near the bed a
negro boy was doing in a chair. A bit
of almost purple sky, studded with aaring
stars, was visible through a broad, many
mullioned window. The deep booming
swish of the Bay was blending with the
rustic of long Spanish moss and satin-like
magnolia leaves. A mockingbird in a
tree beside another window was lazily
piping a dreamy nocturne. Orion was
aware that his head was bound up and
his limbs and body bandaged. He was
stiff and numb with a sinking SENSATION
i'm his breast. He could not think clearly;
the mere effort exhausted him and he
slept. The last thing his closing eyes
saw was a small shapely glove lying OF a
table beside a phial and a spoon. From
some opening a barely perceptible current
of cool and soothing air was creeping over
him. In a corner of the room a tall old
clock was ticking with loud measured
strokes. When he again opened his eyes
it was mid-morning of a fine clear day
with a good sailing breeze pouring around
the house and rafting the windows and
the first object that met his eyes was the
supple, symmetrical form of Felicie Ro-
chon standing near his bed. Her back
was turned to him and she was arranging
a large vase of flowers on the table, her
small taper hands moving gracefully and
flashing the diamonds and rubies of some
exquisite rings. She wore a simple pale
gray morning dress (of some costly ma
teriaD touched with dull red here and
there. Her abundant yellowish brown
hair was fluffy with half ringletS in front
and lone into a large knot low upon her
neck behind where shone a tall ieweled
comb of gold. He could see the merest
sketch of her side face with it's delicate
complexion and soft curves, just the hint
of a nearly perfect Greek profile, with a
forehead a trife high and a chin possibly
a little too heavy, but beautiful and mag
~netically tender and sweet in every line.
Orion felt 10 pain now; sense of ex-
IRENE weakness and lassitude, however,
forbade any effort to or to speak.
LIE lay Qu1O0 SILL, COuISuG 10 gaze WIN
half open eyes upon the fair vision be-
fore him; nor did he speculate upon the
chances that had brought him here. That
he was in a room of the Rochon mansion
he could have no doubt. Slowly enough
Garcin's came into his mind and then he
realized that he was old Rochon's captive.
His first thought was of his sketches and
the portrait of Lalie Garcin, then he re-
membered how he had carried them out
into the garden before the fire began.
While this was fitting through his brain
he was watching Mile. Rochon arrange
fhaAowers. Presently by a considerable
&foTthe said, in a half whispsr:
"Mademoiselle Rochon." q
She turned quickly and looked at him
with a bright, startled inquiring smile on
her face. She did not appear so tall when
she stood thus, and indeed she really was
but little. above medium height, though
there was a certain lofty stateliness in her
bearing.
She placed her finger on her lip, to
signify that he must not speak, and shook
her head for the same purpose. Coming
. promptly to his bedside she bent her head
low and said:
Monsieur, you must not say one word,
you must be very quiet, very" A slight
glow of color crept over her cheeks as
she spoke. "You have been extremely
ID. Monsieur" she went ON very gently
and sweetly, and the least effort win be
bad for you"
Her presence and her voice were sooth-
ing to the feeble and emaciated man. He
Dbeyed her implicitly.
"Shut your eyes now and go to Sleep"
she said, after letting fall through his lips
n few drops of ONE cordial, :" all that
you need is rest" It was the voice of
tender, solicitous authority, so often
heard at the bedside of a sick child. She
drew the light covering of the bed close
up to his chin, then turned and walked
noiselessly out of the room, leaving in his
mind an impression never felt by any but
the young and the imaginative, and by