New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1891-01-28

ly surpassed herself-the crawhsh
bisque had been perfection itself, the
river shrimp, boiled in red-pepper
water, was still a fine delight to be re-
membered, au reste it had been a.
round table with only the friends she
liked best-men old enough to appre-
clate g. good dinner, land women pretty
enough to almost distract ones atten-
ton from the menu.
mon dieu," madam was won't to
say, with shrug of her shapely shout
ders, zone is imbicile to invite boys to
dine, they only eat, and a dinner with
out pretty woman is meat without
grace"
Coffee and a flask OF amber liquor
had been served out on the gallery as
we sat watching night come across the
water. The sweet south wind lifted
the veil of moss on the trees, and in
the dusk we could see the white-sailed
schooners, like phantom ships, coming
in or going out. Some one lit a cigar
cite and laughed softly-the servant
comming out to remove the coffee cups
had seen the pale crescent of the new
moon through the tree-tops and had
stopped to cross herself to ward off
the bad luck such misfortune was
sure to bring. It was such familiar
n1ingling of the Christian symbol with
heather superstition that we scarcely
noticed it until the doctor said:
''DO you know that is one of abe
most interesting psychological prob
lens in the world-how far nature
and heredity have been overcome
by education and civilization"
and then speaking almost
as if to himself, and lighting one CT
garette from the ashes of another, the
doctor told this story to illustrate his
point:
II hardly remember when or where I
first met Loyette," he said, cit was so
many years ago. But when think of
her I always see a tall, dark, little
woman with clear olive skin, with
black hair hidden under a gay tisnon
and eyes with such tawny light in
them-such flashes of passion, Of love
or hate-it made you think of a. sum-
mer night when the soft darkness is
cleft in twain by sudden CLEANS of
lightning.
"You would have noted all these
things if youhad known her, but what
you would have remembered longest
would have been curious impression
OF strength and power in her, repressed
and dormant perhaps, but you instinct
lively felt that the slim, straight figure
could spring on an enemy out OF a door,
way like q tiger on it's prey, and that
the long sinewy fingers had a grip like
steel. You had only to note the thin
line OF the quivering nostril and the
quick light that leaped into the eye to
know that she was q creature OF fierce
passions, under which she shook and
writhed like reed in storm.
"You may have seen many another
quadroon like Loyette in the lower
part of New Orleans, walking with
their peculiarly free and swinging step
along the banquette, or making
picturesque bits of color among the
fruits and bizarre wares Of the French
market, or better still, you may have
seen them in the old St. Louis cathe-
dral PROSTATE before the altar of
Our Blessed Lady, with all the passion
in their half-savage blood died out
before the calm gaze of infinite purity,
and their tempest-tossed souls at rest
for q moment on the bosom of God"
The doctor paused a moment, and
then he went on:
AS I have said hardly remember
how or when / first knew LOyette. I
have faint recollection of my father
who was a sugar planter on the Teche
dying, of being carried faint and grief
sick to my guardians house in New
Orleans, of exchanging the light and
freedom of the country for darkened
rooms, of hot and marrow streets in
place OF waving cane, and then darkness
closed In about me and knew no
more. They told me afterward was
very illfor weeks, but at last when that
mysterious voyaging of mind and soul
over unknown seas which we call delir-
ium, was over, and like half-wrecked
bark had drifted into port again, the
first thing l remember consciously was
Loyette. She was standing at the
window, as saw her so often in other
years-tall, statuesque and still as if
carved in bronze. [ stirred softly,
and seeing was awake and rational,
she came swiftly to me.
Eth, mon bebe,' she said softly, but
it is you who should burn a candle to
the saints. It is the grace of le bon
Dieu, or else it would be in the GENE
taire St. Louis you would wake
"'In my weakened state did not
greately care, but curiosity was begin
ming to stir in my numbed brain.
"SsAnd you,' asked, who are your
t.'Oh,' she answered, with a shrug,
sas for me, I am Loyette, your nurse.
Now, sleep, sleep, and she held to my
lips draught INCREASINGLY swal-
lowed; but even as / drifted off into
unconsciousness was haunted by the
dark, sad face that bent above me.
sIn the days of convalescene, when
I tossed from side To side Of the GREAT