St. Landry democrat., 1893-11-25
JauE find RRTHUR.

|
taken together with her gentle hea
fondly resting on his gallant breas,
There were to be only two impression
struck from the plate, and, oh! what
consolation each one would be for tn
awful hours of separation--a ever pres
ent sign of inetFab!e bliss! But the
never fantiei that the plate retained it
reproductive powers, nor that it was DIES
tined to fall into the hands of the yenge
tul George Percy, and when they reck
oncd without George Percy they reckonc'
without a host
For this young man was romantic 0
temperament and ingenious of mind
From his earliest perception he had vow
ed that she should be his. and so in tn
heydew of his discretion, having scel
her rnthlessly torn from his mental EN-
brace through the diabolical arts of
hated rival, he sworc that he woule
have his revenge. Of course he mus
dlssemble-that was an essential of tn,
passion. Arthur and he had always beer
good comrades, and so they must con
tinue. He must congratulate the happ,
pair with false words and a hollow
smile. He must, and he did.
But time was his friend so avaunt de-
spair! The lovers were young, and theil
complacent parents had declared that
they must wait Aha Was he not man
enough from the. nettle Opportunity tc
pluck the flower Success? Only bring on
| the ncttle! Meanwhile he would watch
and wait 1t was at the acme of this
conviction that Arthur one evening in a
flood of that Grass confidence, which is
half the pleasure of being in love, showed
the picture to George Alas, the blind
ness of fate! Among the mental in
genuities with which George was en-
dowed was very pretty taste for the
natural sciences. Chemistry, through
its facility in producing light from dark
ness, sound from silence and smell from
scentlessness, had always appealed to his
imaginative qualities.
At school he had been allowed the run
OF tie laboratory--a and sometimes a run
from lt-and there was nothing in the
nature of smoke, stencil or explosion
which he had not generated. He went
further in day than Faraday did in his
whole life, and as for Daguerre he could
take care of him without half thinking.
Indeed, in time photography became
de\'"htful avocation to him. and its mys-
terles were camerical not chimerical.
lie had gaineda we'll deserved reputa-
ion as an amateur OPERATOR and, it so
Mppened, had long been in the habit of
developing his work in the very gallery
where the young lovers had so wantonly
made light of their sacred emotions.
and more, he was so engaging in man.
ner and SO generous in returning favors
that he had the use of the establishment
and came and went as if his will was a
centurion, latchkey being his guide by
night All of this Arthur well knew,
and all of this he clean forgot in the
selfish rapture of displaying his happi-
ness.
But George remembered, and when he
had carclessly read the makers name on
the back of the photograph he could
scalce restrain a start and the conven-
tional chuckle of foreseen revenge. In
flash came an idea which gradually
developed into full grown purpose
He could, he would, he did. lie knew
many a secret of the craft. Now was
the time to call that knowledge to his
aid. One night he searched and he
found negatives of Susie Graham, a great
friend of Arthur's and of Robert Prince, |
an ardent admirer of James. With in |
finite care he prepared new plates, and
10! when he had developed these and
taken their impressions there were two |
pictures, one of Arthur and Susie and
the other of Robert and Jane, in the
identical conjunction of affection in
which it had seemed clever to Arthur
and Jane to exploit their young love.
"Aha!" Missed George with a half
suppressed mirthless laugh as he pulled
his hair over his brow and rolled his
eyes, which shone with an internal fire.
saba! l have them on the hin, and
lll feed fat the ancient grudge l owe
Them"
And we'll he might laugh as one who
laughed last. The following week the
little Jane, while dreaming idly of her
felicity, received an anonymous package
md wept. The following week the ar
lent Arthur, while impatiently counting
he days of his probation, received an
package and swore The
lext day two notes, pregnant with arief
md resentment, crossed each other.
FA1THLEss ARTHUR-I return the ring and
ther presents. All is over. So never. never
peak again to JANE.
cad one.
TICKLE JANE Since you no longer love me-,
beg TO herewith transmit your lie ters and (
he slippers YOU sent me last Christmas [
hink they are just his size. Iremain, yours
iolSh itly, ARTHUR. =
cad the other.
How shameless!' sobbed Jane when ;
he received the letter. "What nerve!"
rowled Arthur as he tore the former ,
nto bits. And thereafter the hearts that {
ad beat as one throbbed most indspend-
ntly as two.
Arthur was seen smoking on the street, q
nd thus became warning of dissipa- !
ION. And George, who now called :
sslduously on Jane, found his antici- !,
ated joys almost as cnlivening as a
quaker meeting, for the poor child !;
'as glum and distraught and too simple
hide it. Her cheeks grew wan, and h
ne sparkle of her eye deadencd into
leianchoiy. Her parents became
larmed, fearing decline, aud as
bsence is remedy long since declared
andard, they decided to send her on
visit to her Aunt Abigail in the me- }
'opoIis. :,
George heard the tidings with con
Was this the end of his n
aicanerya Then he had been deceived. @