The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-07-03
THE STROKE OF RUIN

Dverhung the sidewalk and smoked slow
", with half closed eyes. Hc was await
ing and expecting the arrival of his
young friend. Francois Rapin, who had
lately interested him to singular de-
gree.
Even mt the moment, up the uncarpet-
I'd stairway, came the active creole's
feet two steps ut time along with a
lively tune sung almost breathlessly
through II curving black mustachc.
well, and what is it," demanded
the New Yorker. "What have you found
out?''
Maybe she went to the French opera
Go with me- have box. Come
But haven't yen yet seen her?"
"Seen her. How should 1 know? NJ.
Harding forgcts the conditions. He
laughed III his atrociously frivolous
French way.
Il beg pardon" said Harding quick
". Il had indeed forgotten that 1 did
not know her name, her place of resi-
dence, nor yet even the color of her eyes
Yes. will go with y0l to the opera
Everybody goes, eh?"
He had come south fortnight past
with letters Of introduction to influen-
tial people, but he was not seeking So
ciety. A quiet sojourn in New Orleans
with his eyes and ears open suited him
better.
What was perhaps just the thing he
would have most desired came to him
unexpectedly one day. He suddenly met
II beautiful young woman face to face at
the door of Garcia's old book store
Harding was electrified and impulsively
lifted his hat. She passed him with a
half smile. leaving breath of violets
and the rustic of gown quietly elegant
i'll the air ronnd about.
A lover is Il great fool, but he is the
only man who. knows what song it was
that the stars sang and TO him you
must go if you would learn the secret of
heavenly happiness and the value of
dreams rs nutriment for the magma
ton. A lovers soul will treble its
stature by feeding ono moment on IL
smile.
III fact, Boyle Harding had felt this
sudden growth within. 1t had quicken
ed, broadened and swcctened his spirit
ual vision, while aifording fine and
richly mysterious increment to his en-
joyment of his new surroundings
This was midway in the fifties, when
New Orleans had reached the splendid
zenith of her wealth. and when the pc
culiar color of her social life was most
dazzling and romantic.
AS they went along Rapin was pratt
thing on the subject of fencing, always
n great vogue with the jeunesse doree
of New Orleans.
But you must be interested i'll sword
play-in fencing. 1t is the noblest of all
exercises for gentlemen, and your phys
ique is precisely made up for it. You
must be a master, or you could be. -
Il have had good masters" Harding
replied, i'll an evasivo tone, "but l nm
losing interest in it..
Your masters were in New York;"
mo; Paris. had NJ Duval for
three years.
s. All, what fortune! He, and he only,
teaches the stroke Of ruin. the pass
which pierces across from shoulder to
shoulder, disabling tho victim fos life,
| yet never killing him!
And you learned his stroke Oh, but
/ am overjoyed. and you will teach mo
| to do it. All. monsieur, shall be Your
lifelong debtor. l have dreamed of that
Incompatible thrust, have made two
journeys to Paris to learn it, bnt, ycN
| must know, M. Duval is an ancient en-
envy of my fathers. could not go to
| him. -
| a great curve Of splcndor, flash of
faces. Threats, bosoms, jewels, laces,
eyes, fans-a bewildering horizon of
corsagcs, coitfuroe. necklaces. bracelets,
rings; II foam Of airy gowns sinking
and swelling gently, like surf froth
against Il beach of fairylnd. Harding
gazed i'll half blinded stupidity, so he
felt, and could see no details, could make
ont no individual face distinctly.
| I'VE will begin the lessons tomor-
row, " murmured Rapin. II shall be all
apt scholar monsieur "
Eyes, ;" said Harding absently. He
was gazing along the great sweep of
beauty and light
But excuse me n moment or two, "
the creole added after awhile, when the
curtain was down II am going to Gull
at the box Of friend "
Harding continued his survey, which
now that his eyes had somewhat accus-
toned themselves to the glamour became
moro real and absorbingly interesting.
Presently he saw Rapin i'll box. a
magnificent one, near the center, talk
ing with II tall young woman, and it
was she. There could be no doubt for a
moment
Harding's eyes were fixed. The trance
of that old time love which men used
to acknowledge was upon him. And at
the very central moment she turned