Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-18
CHAPTER II.

The American supported Mr.. Spencer to q
seat, gently and tenderly, and famed him with
hat until he had recovered himself.
''Wait till you hear my story" said the
stranger. before you condemn me or Judge
me at all. Come along to the inn
Thay soon reached the quaint old hostelry,
with its rubbed front intersected by black oak
beams and half covered with q lacey curtain Of
travellers Joy and clemstis. 1t was a snug old
fashioned place. and the private parlor was
comforts which the substantial leather-covered
oak furniture of the early Gregorian period
could bring. A three-branched old En-
glish brass lamp Was suspended from the
ceiling, some half dozen deer antlers served
as racks for score Of frail, long, white church
warden pipes; on the shelf of the hooded man
telpiece stood couple Of rare and glossy stone
graybeards and five or six big, old Stafford
shire dishes lightened the dull brown of the
room with their bright and vivid colors.
The little man was seated in big arm chair
by the broad. diamond-paned window, through
which the pale light Of the dying summer day
still swept into the room like q dull silver mist
while the westerner stretched his long legs
from a high-backed bench by his side. A bottle
OF Madeira, hoary with the dust and cobwebs
Of years, had been provided by mine host, who
was proud Of his cellar. which his greatgrand-
father had stocked q century ago. 1t had been
opened and the musicians heart warmed
toward his new and generous acquaintance.
He was plain man and the even tenor of his
life seldom was ruffled by excitements like that
which then thrilled him softly.
Il wish you would tell me something about
the place where you have been living" he said.
and his voice became broken and little hoarser
as he went on, because / had boy who went
out there years ago. and-and-I would like to
know from one who has lived there what sort
Of place it il.
Its a COOL place enough" answered the big
man, "and q rich place. God has blessed it
with most things. You can find geld there if
you're lucky or stones il you're not. But you
bacco, from potatoes to grapes And you have
your choice-prairie land, If you prefer the
level, or the great mountains, II you like
tho rough, Your boy went there7' he
az the 'f head was Am Mr. s Ss n1s
had many, such lads out on the
plains, and in the mountains, too,
at the time Of the rush. They all thought gold
was to be found for the looking, but most of
them went back with their hearts heavier than
their pockets. Gold, you see, isn't to be found
just like Goals. all over the place. You may
dig OF wash there, and find a fortune, and your
neiehbor mayn't get enough to pay for his
board. It's all chance and it takes a keen eye
to spot it,
He glanced around the room uneasily as he
spoke. and the musician thought he had heard
the noise Of a movement, like that of the sud-
den opening Of door and the shutting of it
again.
YES" the American went on. after a mere
seconds pause, i've had many such bright
hopeful fellows out in the Rockies. There was
one especially. met him first in New Orleans
Do you know what creole is?''
The organist shook his head.
well, q creole Is q descendant Of an original
French settler of Louisiana. We have no aris-
tocracy in the states. People there who put on
airs Of superiority by birth are ridiculed gener-
ally. But the nearest approach to caste dis
tinctions are found in New Orleans, q city less
American than any other in the Union. and
composed OF quite separate classes of people,
with the creole families proudest and most
looked up to. One of these 'aristocratic' fami-
lies Of French descent was the Clematons, and
the best belle in all New Orleans at the time
am speaking Of was Miss Marie Clematon. Her
folks were rich, for the great American war had
not impoverished them-as it did most of the
southerners-for they had more than recovered
themselves after Q dozen years and more
Marie was beautiful in every way--in mind and
body-a 1.-the, radiant girl of eighteen, as rare
and everyday in her nature as a farmer daugh-
ter. / don't see how anybody could know her
without loving her. Icouldn't. Chance placed
me close to her for a month. / had business
with her father, and he, with true southern
hospitality, kept me q guest in his house. Be-
fore the end OF my stay ! was as much her
slave any one of the negroes who had served
her in her infancy, before the war emancipated
them
II don't comprehend how your servants
could ever have allowed themselves to be set
free from you, said to her one day.
'.she looked at me q moment with her eyes
wide open-wondering just what meant; and
then she understood-and showed it, for there
wasn't shade or shadow Of concealment in her
nature. In those words had told her of INV
love and she comprehended it-all as clearly az
II we had talked about 1t for an hour But we
didn't discuss it at all She turned the con-
yersation to some other subject. thought she
did it for shyness, but the true reason was that
she didnt return my love and was too kndlT To
tell me SO.
However. I wouldn't be put of long. I
was to quit New Orleans for Arizona within a
week, and, just before starting, insisted on
declaring myself to Marie. She listened to me
without protest. when she found that was de-
termined TO speak, and when was done she nut
her hand In mine-but not by way of accept
ance OF me as a lover.
II tried to prevent you from saying this to
me- she said, for it pains me to disappoint
you i like you. Mr.. Caswell-I like You very
much. and have been glad to see you growing
fond Of me. But don't love you in the way
you desire-in the way that would satisfy YOU.
in the way that would permit me to become
your wife
".Couldn't you learn to love me?' I pleaded
ono, she answered, in Q low, sweet yet
Arm voice.
"'You love some other man. I blurted out
resentfully.
Marie lifted her eyes to mine in the Ren,lest
sort OF reproof-with no anger, nor even an
noyance, but only with sorrow for me- She
| said: Mr.. Caswell, / am deeply in love with
q man as you are with me, and as hopelessly
oh. if We could only guide our hearts!
Il knew that Marie Clematon was no coquette
| and that it was not creole pride Of station that
made her reject me. So / gave I'M nv suit