Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-12-08
tcopysht .s Kellogg Nerspapgcol clVSNIS KVMs WHO.
CHAPTER XIV.
~ n-a

CHAPTER XIV.
NY PATE
Until nearly evening Of the next
/ day was solitary in that house. Tn
usual o-t-o1-loor labors kept lie Fevre
/ away from early morning till dark;
| and neither Coralie nor her father ap-
peared at the breakfast or dinner
| table.
'eDe ole massa powerful sick in de
night" said one Of the women who
waited on me g Pears like he done
git no sleep. and Missy Coral up an
down wild him. Tell US what we do
for yo', sab, an we do um."
/ stroIled down to the bayou and
stroIled back. tried toget interested
In book, and threw one after another
aside Was it the natural longing for
her who had now become necessary to
my existence?-or was it the restless
ness provoked by the shadows of COM
| ing events?
Coralie-always Coralie. She had
! taken possession of me; could think
! of nothing else. have ventured upon
no description of her face and form; L
will not. She was all that Mr. Dorion
had said Of her, and more.
But who was it that TINS thought Of
her and hoped for her? A poor adven-
turer, with few paltry dollars in his
pocket; a dependent at this moment
upon her fathers hospitality.
Aye, indeed!-was that my position?
Be it So The other side of the ques-
ton quickly appeared. There was
danger threatening to Coralie.
The very air was full of it, since the
ill-omened visit of the previous night.
''Did he say anything about yo't, ,Corry?"
was her fathers anxious question.
What might he have said?-what could
he say?-what was it that he had
threatened TO tell all through La
Fourche?-the threat of which had
forced Mr.. Bostock to the humiliating
confession that this scoundrel was his
son.
Evidently the mysterious terror that
brooded at Pierce Bostocks heart
largely concerned his daughter. The
man who sought her must seek her
under this cloud. He must take his
risk Was prepared to do this?
Was prepared? Yesl A thousand
times yes. / would face anything,
dare anything, for her. exulted,
with a fierce exultation, TO know that
there must be some sacrifice on my
part. / wanted something to dare;
something TO suffer for her sake.
The parting words Of lie Fevre on
the previous night recurred to me.
''The old man couldn't live without
her. I've sometimes thought that the
love of her is all that keeps him alive.
Many promising young fellows, the
sons Of the wealthiest planters about
here, have tried to court her, but he's
driven them all off. He has seemed to
be In perfect terror of her falling in
love with anyone. Bat he needn't
have troubled himself so far. She
hasn't cared straw for any Of them"
Would IL not be 50 with me, both as
to the father and daughter? / could
not tell But / resolved 10 quickly
find out Events were fast shaping
my course, and the startling occur
renee of the evening before had en-
boldened me TO speak out.
It was almost sunset when she came
down from her fathers chamber,
wearied from loss Of sleep, languidly
beautiful in her white wrapper, with
her black hair unbound and fastened
back with a net. She came and sat by
me on the sofa.
'fHe Is asleep now" she said, antici-
pating my question. 81 hope 1t will
last long enough TO rest his poor dis
tractcd mind and his weak body. 1t
all comes from the shock Of that bad
mans visit last night. He will not
talk with me about it-but in his sleep
nc cries ont his name, and prays him
not 10 speak Of me-and o, Mon Dieu,
IL is horriblcl Can IL be that this hid
eous man is my brother?'
81 fear IL is so. Mr.. Dorion told me
30 He said that he came TO the plan
tation near Vicksburg when you were
an infant, with your father; that he
was always called son; and that IL
was supposed, when he went away
during your childhood, that on account
of his evil course your father had hired
him 10 leave"
"Ah, mel Ihave no memory OF him.
Why does papa fear him?"
~ wish knew"
''These things are dreadful What
are we 10 do-ghat will become Of us?"
"Do not despair. We may never hear
of that man again"
"Ah, you do not know the condition
that poor papa Is I'M IL Is pitiful TO see
him. He begs me not 70 leave him; he
calls on Conrad not 10 betray him"
''He Is dclirious"
''No, no; IL IL In his sleep. Since last
night, II has seemed 10 me as II / could
never be ligbt-hearted or happy again.
IL seems as though some dreadful
calamity was threatening us"
"You want rest and sleep yourself.
You must not be so sad"
"Am sad? Well, think Of IT, Here
is papa, sick with fright from that man;
he win die suddenly, some time, the
doctor sayB-and then there Is nobody
TO protect me or care for me. Mr.. Lc
Fcvre, pcrhaps-but he rs 80 rough,
though his heart n good. | am
| troubled"
All this was merely the natural out
pouring Of the heart, by one whose life
had always been sunny, who had not
known what grief was. II was my op-
portunity; could not neglect IL. My
heart beat fast AS took the plunge.
''There is one 10 protect you, Coralic;
there is one who would die for you, but
who hopes 10 live long for you. Have
you not thought Of me in this
| trouble?"
She looked down; her long black
lashes lay on her fair face.
81 did think of you" she said. "But
! did not know how You felt toward
me-"
"Not know" | echoed Gould 1
have told you palmer than by my
looks, my actions, my very silcncc?,
Shall ! tell you now that love you
dearly, and will stand between you and
all pcril2"
She looked into my eyes; her head
was on my shoulder; my arms were
about her.
90 Dorr, is IL true2" she whispered.
81 have dreamed II, but never dared 90
think IL. H. IL really truc2r
We sat and talked until the twilight.
do not know how long; only know
that the world was lost 10 both Of MS
| In that time Why should ! repeat
here what we said, the vows VIC cx-
changed, the air castles we built?
| With lovers and first love the way has
always been the same since the days of
1 "A L