Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-10-31
MY COUSIN LOUISE.

with her great blue eyes, which one would
a have said had been painted in heaven, her
hair Of. the color Of field Of grain in the
month of August, her cheeks as round as
an apple and rosy as a picture OF Bocher,
with mouth tri1e large perhaps but all
the better suited for showing, when she
laughed, a glimpse Of her pearly teeth.
And what a graceful neck and adorable
shoulders! What an elegant figure! What
dinples upon her tiny, plump little hands!
] almost forgot her infantile feet. You
cannot imagine anything so tiny.
In view Of all these charms, what would
you have done in my place at II years OF
age, firmly believing yourself to be mann
You would have fallen in love! An,
well, that is what happened to me!
On my side it was serious. swear It.
Ibid not content myself with stealing my
Cousins handkerchiefs and gloves, nor
with pressing her hand at every turn of
the walk, nor with embracing her on the
bench beneath one of the great garden
trees Of Villc-d' Array. All those pranks
of n colleeian were childishness-the love
of a cherub. My passion had for me diff
ferent snare. was gloomy. / was jealous!
Whoever permitted himself to look ad-
mirinely upon Louise-Louise was the
barbed arrow and glared at him wrath
fully. If the rival persisted in his impu-
dence, wrapped myself in my tunic-for
/ still had tunic in those dayS-and
advanced upon him menacingly, with my
ewes afIame, ready to demand of him rea-
sons for his attentions. But there my hos
Utilities stopped. / was, in short, so wild
with anger that my words stuck in my
throat, and / could not succeed in articu-
latinga syllable. Otherwise l should have
been proud and happy to have had duel
for my cousin.
Alas, soon perceived that my ardent
passion was not returned!
Louise loved me not-at least she did
not hesitate in sacrificing mo to another.
Ny uncle who was a retired merchant,
had taken great passion for slelght or
hand performance and played the Robert
Houdin in chambers. 1t appeared that
he had become ambitious for his daughter,
and ever since he could make omelets in
an old hat and had encountered his house
with the paraphernalia of wizard he
dreamed of some one very different from
myself for a son-in-law
When / received the news Of the APP
preaching marriage of Louise, in a long
letter wherein the pcrlidious ono enumer-
ated in honeyed words the reasons which
had determined her to renounce me, had
but ono thought must die, for life ap-
pcared intolerable.
/ stoically unfastened an old dagger
hanging on the wall, and, observing that
it was somewhat blunted and rusty, l
sharpcned it upon my stone chimney in
order that the blow which it might carry
void be more surely mortal.
After conscientious refurbishing,
which lasted for a good half hour the an
tique poniard had become little moro
brilliant and / a little more calm, but it
was the calm which precedes the tempest
/ determined however, not to end my
days till l had seen Louise, to reproach
her for her treason, to kill her with him
and to kill myself aftcrward.
That very evening l requested permits
sion of my father to go and pass n few
days at the cottage of lle-d'Avray with
my aunt. This permission was readily &C
corded and | set forth the next day.
On my arrival tho first person whom /
met was Louise herself, who became very
red on percciving me. She was not alone
Her arm was within that of my detested
rival. They were walking in the same
path where we had wandered, she and !,
some weeks before, as if she had wished to
recall to me in cruel mockory our senti
mental walks. They talked beneath the
same trees. Doubtless they were making
the same VOWS. l thought l should go
wild as / watched them.
There also as when was beloved, my
aunt sat underneath an oak. She was EN-
broidering by the side Of my uncle, who
was sleeping over his journal and dream
ing of some unknown trick of prestidigi-
tation From time to time the good lady
raised her head to call to her daughter
Louise, do not remain out under the
trees too late. They are SO damp ut this
scasonr'
Then Louise ran, with her hair slightly
rumpled and delightedly hanging on the
arm of her captain-for he was cap
tain and soon to be n major-who was
magnificently decorated with epaulets, in
tunic jauntily worn which well exhibit
cd his tall figure His long mustaches
were superbly black. He was truly a hand
some boy. l found him frightful.
Through all tho day could not ex-
change n word with Louise. The captain
absorbed her. / resolved, however, to have
an explanation, at any price, from the
perfdious girl. Had l not come for that
only?
The night, thought, is propitious for
that sort of conversation. will await tho
night. l will whisper into the ear of
Louise when no one observes us, when no
one will interrupt u.s. That evening
said to her, please to leave your window
partly open"
The captain was also to pass the night
at the cottage. My uncle had persuaded
him to remain till the next day, with the
unspoken thought of giving him private
exhibition. To have for a public only his
wife ana daughter who knew by heart
his repertory, was dull. 1t was refreshing
to have u fresh spectator for his marvels.
In order not to let him escape, my uncle
had shut up his military friend with triple
locks in ono Of the chambers which was
little used.
When all the world had retired, and
when the house appeared sufficiently 81
lent, l opened very gently the window OF
my room, which was near that of Louise.
Full of the spirit of Shakespeare, whose
works l had been reading for the first
time during my vacation, pulled aside
my curtain and went at the risk OF break
ing my neck. like Romeo, to suspend my
-. .asf~ .lnt. M