Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-01-04
MY COUSIN LOUISE,

She was charming at is, my cousin,
with her great blue eyes, which one would
have said had been painted in heaven, her
hair of the color of a field of grain in tho
month of August, her cheeks as round as
an apple and rosy as picture of Bocher,
with a mouth a trife large perhaps, but all
the better suited for showing, when she
laughed, a glimpse of lhCr pearly teeth.
And what a graceful neck and adorable
shoulders What an elegant igure What
dimplcs upon her tiny, plump little handsl
l almost forgot her infantle feet You
cannot imagine anything so tiny.
In view of all these charms, what would
you have donc in my place at II years of
age firmly believing yourself to he man2
You would have fallen in love? All,
well, that is what happened to me!
On my side it was serious. | swear it.
did not content myself with stealing my
cousins handkcrchirfs 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 collegian We're childshness-th love
of a chcruh. My passion had for mo diff
fercnt snare. was gloomy. was jealous'
miringly upon Lonise-Louise was the
name Of my cousn-drew upon me
barbed arrow, and glared at him wrath
fully. If the rival persisted in his impu-
dence, wrapped myself in my tunic-for
/ still had a tunic in those days-and l
advanced upon him menacingly, with my
eyes aAamc, ready to demand of him rca-
sons for his attentions. But there my hos
Il, i
with anger that my words stuck in my
throat, and could not succeed in articu-
lating u syllable Otherwise l should have
been proud and happy to have had a duel
for my cousin.
Alas, l soon perceived that my ardent
passion was not returned!
Louise loved me nOt--at least she did
not hesitate in sacrificing me to another
My uncle, who was a retired merchant,
had taken a great passion for sleight of
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 paraphcrnalia of a wizard he
dreamed of some one very different from
myself for IA sOn-in-law.
When ! received the news of tho ap.
preaching marriage of Louise, in "A long
letter wherein the pCrftdiOus one cnumcr-
atcd in hOnCycd words the reasons which
had determined her to rcnOunce me, | had
but one thought-I must die, for life ap-
peared intolerablc.
l stoically unfastened an old dagger
hanging on the wall, and, observing that
it was somewhat bluntrd and rusty, ]
sharpaned it upon my stone chimney in
order that tie blow which it might carry
void be more surely mortal.
After conscientious refurbishing
which lasted for a good half hour, the an.
tiquc pOniard bad bccOmG n little more
brilliant and little more calm, but it
was the calm which preoedes 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 afterward.
That very evening I requested permits
sion of my father to go and pass few
days at the cottage of Ville-d' Array with
my aunt. This permission was readily ac-
corded, and 1 set forth the next day
On my arrival the first person whom
met was Louise herself, who became very
red on perceiving 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 l,
some weeks before, as if she had wished to
recall to me in cruel mockery our senti-
mental walks. They talked beneath the
same trees Doubtless they were making
the same vows. l thought 1 should 90
wild as WATCHED them.
There also, as when / was beloved, my
aunt sat underneath an oak. She was en-
broidcring 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