Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-11-17

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She seemed the very apple of her
fathers eye. At one time he took her
down to New Orleans, and left her
with the Sisters of the Sacred Heart to
be educated. But he could not do
without her. In less than a month he
had brought her home, and from that
time he had her teachers here in the
house half the year. She learned
quickly; music and the languages
seemed to come to her like second
nature. And never did child more
warmly reciprocate a parents lavish
affection than did Coralie that of her
father.
Time passed on, and that fatal April
of 1853 came round.
Bostock had issued invitations for a
gentleman's dinner party. l was in
vited, of course. Alphonse Basnet, a
Frenchman owning the plantation
adjoining the one / then occupied,
called on me in the morning, and
asked me If should attend Bostock' S
party.
told him that I should.
"Well,' he said, Il want your ad-
vice. / am asked, too. A countryman
of mine, Castex by name, who has
lived in Louisiana, and more lately in
Arba, arrived at my place yesterday.
When | told him of my invitation
he became greatly interested and asked
me to take him along"
''Take him, then. That, l believe,
is one of the usages of society the
world over"
Eyes, to be sure; but Castex leads
me to think that he has known our
host before. He has asked me fifty
questions about him. He seems much
more interested than he naturally
would be, growing out of any ordinary
acquaintance in past years. / must
take him, of course. What want you
to advise me about is: Shall 1 go over
and speak to Mr.. Bostocl1 this morning
about him?"
was on the point of advising AL
phonse to do so, by all means, as GER
tainly should have done had Castex
been my visitor. / have often thought,
that, had / obeyed my impulse, the
bloody combat that has been described
to you might have been avoided. Then
came the reluctance to interfere in q
matter of other mems social RESPONSE
bilities, and declined TO advise him.
Alphonse returned home, and his guest
accompanied him to the dinner-party
unheralded.
1t SO happened that these two arrived
last. With them there were thirteen
in the parlors, the host making the
fourteenth. All who had been invited
were present, save one; and / remem-
Der that as Mr.. Castex was presented
to the company, there was much re-
mark and jest about our good luck in
having him there, SO as to avoid the
awkward thirteen at the table.
When he was introduced to the host,
different scene occurred. Mr.. Bos-
took started, changed color, withdrew
his proffered hand and made a slight
bow instead. Castex smiled, bowed,
and turned away. In my eyes he had
q most disagreeable face, and the smile
was very nearly a sneer.
1t was an awkward incident, and
threw chill over the party at the
start; for everybody observed it. Still,
there was no outbreak just then. Din
took led the way to the hall
The host was at the head of the
table, of course; happened to be at
the foot. Next on the right of the
head was doctor; next sat Basnet, his
friend beside him.
The soup had but just been served
when Coralie, then but twelve years
old, came to an open door and stood an
instant. She evidently desired to speak
to her father, but, seeing that he and
his guests were seated, she went away.
Castex saw her, and stared at her.
Directing the attention of Bostock to
her, he put question to him in French.
1t was answered in the affirmative.
Basnet says that the question was:
"Is that your child, monsieur"
Then, upon receiving the reply, Cas-
tex leaned over the angle of the table
and made rapid rejoinder also in
French. Basnet distinguished the
words: "Wife," avenged" and New
Orleans" More than these nobody un-
derstood.
Nobody but the host. The remark,
whatever II was, was for his ears, and
he heard every word of it. He looked
at Castex-horror, Indignation, hate,
were in the look. The attention Of
the whole table was fastened upon the
scene.
Gentlemen" said Bostock, "somc-
thing very disagreeable has occurred.
/ could pardon much in "A man sitting
at my table and eating my salt; but /
say now that either Napoleon Castex
or must leave this table. Well know
ing that his presence in my house and
at my board would be idiocyS he has
taken advantage Of social license
TO force himself upon me. That / could
endure in silence, out Of regard for my
friends, that nothing unseemly might
occur here. But he is not content with
that exhibition of his malignant heart;
he has just this moment put upon me
an insult which / cannot and will not
tolerate II could | know not what
next to expect from him. Irepeat it.
either he or ] must leave this table"
In the painful silence that succeeded
this startling speech, all eyes were
fixed on Castex. He rose from his seat,
cool and smiling.
at pleases me very much to retire"
he said. "Witness IL, messieurs!-yon-
der gentleman drives me from his table
and his house."
He bowed, and Immediately left the
room. Alphonsc Basnet squirmed in
his chair, and at last blurted out:
"Bostocl1, my dear fellow excuse
rna--b lint ,yo,, sec I emit remain This
is q wrctched business; / hope IL will
end here. But / brought my friend
here, and of course ] must go with
him"
And he did. The soup grew cold,
and was removed untasted; course after
course Of the choicest dishes succeeded
and were hardly touched. Everybody
was under a dreadful constraint; occa-
sionally there was n solitary remark,
but the effort TO keep up convcrsa-
tion was "a fiat failure. ] have said so
much, that / ought TO tell the whole
truth. When the wine appeared, the
guests turned TO IL as relief from the
awkwardness of the situation. l pre-
sumo everybody drank too much; l am
certain that did. will except Bos-
took. lie sat pale, rigid and silent
through il all. The guests departed
early, with hardly an effort 20 make
the usual compliments to the host
The next morning ] was hardly out
of bed when Pierce Bostock walked In.
| He looked us stern and white as when
he was denouncing Castcx at his own
table.