Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1895-06-19

confirmed habitue of the fencing halls.
Having seen some rapiers and foils in
Harding's rooms, he was saying:
"But you must be interested in
sword play-in fencing. 1t is the
noblest of oil the exercises for gentle
men, and your physique is precisely
made up for it. You must be mas
ter, or you could be-"
II have had good masters" Hard
ing replied in an evasive tone, "but
I am losing interest in it.
'Your masters were in New York ?"
"No; Paris. I had NJ. Duval for
three years.
'M. Duvall You had NJ. Charles
Duyal for three years?"
"Yes."
"Ab, wnas fortune! He, and he
only, teaches the stroke OF ruin, the
pass which pierces across from shoul.
der to shoulder, disabling the victim
for life, yet never killing him - Ra-
pin spoke enthusiastically, and after
a moments pause added almost breath
lessly:
"And you learned his stroke! Oh,
but I am overjoyed; and you will
teach me to do it? Alb, Monsieur, l
shall be your lifelong debtor. have
dreamed CT that incompatible thrust ;
l have made two journeys to Paris to
learn it; but, you must know, NJ.
Duval is an ancient enemy of my
father. I could not 60 to him, and
his pupil are so few and so, so, so dis
t;nguished and exclusive that l could
not reach one of them"
Harding laughed at the youths
frankness and told him pleasantly
that he should be glad to give him the
secret instruction. Thereupon Rapin
almost hugged him, and they were
just entering the Opera House.
A great curve of splendor, a flash OF
faces, jewels, laces, eyes, fans-a be-
wilaering horizon of corsages, coif-
fures, necklaces, bracelets, rings; a
foam of airy gowns sinking and swell
ing gently, like surf froth against q
beach OF fairy land. Harding gazed
in half-blinded stupidity, so he felt,
and could see no details, could make
out no individual face distinctly. 1t
all struck him as some vast spectacle
of barbarous gewgaw splendor, and
yet nothing that he had ever seen
could compare with it in unity of
effect. The boxes were all full, and
full of beauty and queenly costume, SO
accentuated that nowhere else could
such insistences upon decoration have
been tolerable. There, however, it
was the perfection of color, brilliance
and condensed, passionate beauty OF
expression such rs the Greeks of Alex
andaia dreamed of III their luxurious
exhibitions.
Harding and Rapin were the only
persons in their box, which was we'll
to one side of the great curve. On
the stage celebrated ballet fayoritc
was kicking neatly through ono of her
captivating passages.
"Wc will begin the lessons to-mor-
row." murmured Rapin; ~ shall be
an apt scholar, monsieur.
"Yes," said Harding, abscntly. He
was gazing along the great sweep OF
beauty and light.
"But excuse me for n moment or
two" the creole added after while,
when the curtain was down, II am
ruinr to call at the box of q friend"
He went, and Harding continued his
survey, which, now that his eyes had
somewhat accustomed themselves to
tho glamor, became more real and ab-
sorbinsly interesting.
Presently he saw Rapin in box. O
magnificent one, near the centre,
talking with tall, young woman
and it was she. There could be no
doubt for q moment. The thrill
through Harding's heart told ms much
as the girls resplendent, yet, in way,
suLducd beauty.
Harling's eyes were fixed; the
trance of that old-time love which men
used to acknowledge was upon him.
His strong, healthy, boyish nature
plunged into the thick of passion
romance as fervid as it WAS pure and
sincere. And at the very central mo-
ment she turned from Ralpin and
looked straight at him. Moreover, he
could see q light of quick interest
come into her face; they were speak
ing OF him.
The prosy fact was that Rapin, in
his enthusiastic way, had been telling
Mile. Marie do Montmartin-that was
her name-about his good fortune in
finding O master to teach him the
"stroke of ruin," and he had directed
her attention to the young man in his
box. But for Mile. Marie de Mont
martin we may as we'll say that she
glanced mechanically, then looked
again. Harding was superbly hand
some young athlete, flower of per-
feet manhood with face never to be
forgotten by any woman.
Rapin presently returned to the box,
bringing with him, or at least Hard
ing fancied it, breath of that ex-
quisite violet perfume which had been
haunting Harding's memory for days
and nights together.
"Who is she-the young lady in the
box where you've been?"
The abrupt inquiry and certain
timbre of Harding voice betrayed his
emotion to the quick creole.
"Oh, she-that is Mile. Marie de
Montmartin. Lovely, isn't she? You
might envy me, NJ. Harding. She is
my betrothed."
"Ah"- Harding hesitated and q
palish change passed over his face, lik e
fleece cloud over some glori6ed
space of sky. Then he coolly added: !:
"I do envy you. Yes, she is the most
beautiful girl that I have ever seen.
She is the one I met in the old book
store door. You ore quick TO find. "
Rapin co!ored.
"Thank you," ne said, ms the cur
tain went up and the prlma donna
strobe forth with superb swing.
| Tho navt dow Ropin come 70 Hard-