The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-10-27
MY COUSIN LOUISE.


have said had been painted in heaven, her
hair OF the color of a field of grain in the
month of August. her checks as round as
an apple and rosy as a picture of Bocher,
with mouth a trif1e large perhaps, but all
the better suited for showing, when she
laughed, glimpse of her pearly teeth.
And what a graceful neck and adorable
shouldersl What an elegant fgurel What
dimples upon her tiny, plump little handsl
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 a manp
You would have fallen in love? All,
we'll, that is what happened to me!
On my side it was serious. / swear 1t.
did not content myself with stealing my
cousins handkerchicfs 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 Villed' Array. All those pranks
of a collegian were childishncss-th love
OF chcrub My passion had for mo diff
ferent snare. 1 was gloomy. was jcalousl
Whoever permitted himself to look ad-
miringly upon Lonisc-Lonise was the
name of my oousin-drew upon me a
barbed arrow, and glared at him wrath
fully. If the rival persisted in his impu,
dence, / wrapped myself in my tnnic--fGr
/ still had tunic in those days-and I
advanced upon him menacingly, with my
eyes afame, ready to demand of him rea-
sons for his attentions. But there my hos
tilities stopped. l was in short, so wild
with anger that my words stuck in my
throat, and could not succeed in articu-
lating syllable. Otherwise should have
been proud and happy to have had duel
for my cousin.
Alas, Ilsoon perceived that my ardent
passion was not rcturned
Louise loved mo not--at least she did
not hesitate in sacrificing me to another.
My uncle, who WINS a retired merchant,
had taken q great passion for sleight of
hand performance and played the Robert
Houdin in chambers 1t appeared that
he had become 3ambitious for his daughter,
and ever since he could make omelets in
an old hat and had encountered his house
with the paraphernalia of a wizard he
dreamed of some one very different from
myself for son-in law
When l received the news of the APP
preaching marriage of Lonise, in a long
letter wherein tho pcrfidiolls one enumer-
ated in honeyed words the reasons which
had determined her to renounce me, Ihad
but one thought must die, for life APP
peared intolerable.
/ stoically unfastened an old dagger
hanging on the wall, and, observing that
it was somewhat blunted and rusty. !
sharpeDed it upon my Stone chimney in
order that the blow which it might carry
void be more surely mortal
After a conscientious refurhishing,
which lasted for good half hour, the an.
tique poniard had hecoruc little moro
brilliant and little more calm, but ii
was the calm which precedes the tempest.
| determined, however, not to end my
days till | had seen Louise, to reproach
her for her treason, to kill her with him
and to kill myself afterwurd.
4
That very evening requested permits.
sion of my father to 80 and pass few
days at the cottage of Ville-d Array with
my aunt. This permission was readily ac.
corded, and set forth the next day.
: On my arrival the first person whom ]
met was Louise herself, who became very.
red on perceiping ME. Shc was not alone.
Her arm was within that of my detested
path where we had wandered, she and |,
some weeks before, as if She had wished to
recall to me i'll crncl nlockery our senti-
mental walks. They talked beneath the
same trees Doubtless they were making
the same vows. / thought should go
wild as watched them.
There also, as when l was beloved, my
aunt sat underneath an oak. She was en-
hrOi1nrintr NV n If, m
was sleeping over his journal and dream
ing of some unknown trick of prestidigi-
t;ttion. From time to time the good lady
raised her head to call to her daughter:
Louise. do not remain out under the
trees too lale. They are so damp at this
scason!'
Then Louise ran, with her hair slightly
rumplcd, and delightedly hanging on the
arm Of her captain-for he was cap
tain and soon to be major-who was
n,agnifccntly decorated with epaulets, in
tunic jauntily worn which well exhibit
ed his tall figure. His long mustaches
were superbly black. He was truly hand
some boy. l found him frightful
Through all tho day could not ex-
change a word with Louise The captain
absorbed her. / resolved however, to have
al "a PiouuVioi1, az ody PAioC, iioik 1uS
perfidious girl. Had not come for that
only?
The night, thought, is propitious fol
that sort of conversation. will await the
night, will whisper into the ear of
Louise when no one observes us, when no
one will interrupt us. That evening I
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 public only his
wife and daughter, who knew by heart
his repertory, was dull. 1t was refreshing
to have fresh spectator for his marvels.
In order not to let him escape, my uncle
had shut up his military friend with triple
locks in one of the chambers which was
little used.
When all the world had retired, and
when the house appeared sufficiently ST.
lent, opened very gently the window OF
my room, which was near that of Louise.
Full of the spirit of Shakespeare, whose
works 1 had been reading for the first
time during my vacation, l pulled aside