The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1896-11-26

been staying In tle romantic little |
is!ard, finding a restful charm in it's |
quiet seciusion that was a pleasing con-
trast to the life | had been spending
for the past two years in the gay capital
Of the restless and pleasure-loving
French.
One is not likely to expect to meet
with adventures of the thrilling kind
in the peaceful precincts of Bastia, yet
something bordering upon this had
come to my lot less than a month be-
fore.
For the amateur artist the quaint lit
| tie city will furnish many subjects for
| the pencil and brush, and | had made
good my opportunities since my ar
rival.
The most priced among my collec-
tion was the portrait of Veda, the little
Corsican fruit-sellcr. There was some
thing fascinating in her very pose, and
the dark beauty of her face had drawn
me to her as if by some subtle witchery.
One evening, rs l was strolling
through the streets, l heard a cry of
mortal terror come from the court of a
|
families had taken their abode, and en-
tering hastily l perceived an aged
woman, withered hag, with uplifted
knife, in the act of striking girl who
was crouched in the corner of the wall.
l struck the knife aside, and the
would-be murderess fled, leaving me
face to face with Veda, the intended
victim.
She only paused a moment to press a
kiss upon my hand; then she Slipped
through gap in the wall and was gone.
That was the last had seen of her.
TO my inquiries regarding her where
abouts | received no information. ex-
cepting bit of her past history which
told me that she had belonged to a
wealthy and influential family, and
that she had received finished educa-
ton. But reverses had come; her IA
ther had fallen a victim to a dreadful
penniless orphan.
l was deeply interested in her. but
no one could give me the slightest clew
: as to whittier she had fed.
, Still had fingered about the places
l used to see her. Was | in love with
!. the little Corsican beauty?
s Her face would come before my men
tai vision asleep or waking, bringing
a sweet sensation l had never before
e experienced; and yet l tried to dismiss
: her from my mind.
e l sat smoking for some hours upor
= the deck of the Penguin, watching the
f yellow lights dancing in the romanti'
: little city, and drinking in the fresh
|. sweet air Of the night that stole VI
$ from the Mediterranean.
y 1t was about II o'clock when
stretched myself upon the cot which
a Muggins had placed upon the deck.
|, fell asleep soon after, and dreamed
d Muggins' ghost.
1t seemed that some strange pres
Z ence came to me-a woman, beautiful
X beyond any dream; and just as
reached out to touch her she vanished
Il leaving only a faint odor of som
J., strange, sweet perfume. l aWoke suo
i denly with that inexplicable sensation
t. that sometimes tells us of the unsee
is presence of another.
l sat up and looked about me L
.e vague bewilderment. The moon ma
," risen out of the sea and was 11oodln
b the deck with it's mellow radiance.
le AS my mind grew more composed
N detected subtle perfume on the n'gh
G. air, the same that had come to me !
my dream.
D. Was it only the effect Of my imagin:
ton? No; there could be no mistak
as to its reality. Something white la
at my feet; picked it up; it was de
I'd icate piece of lace embroidered llnel
It. and exhaled the breath Of perfume ths
s. had before greeted my senses.
er While | stood bewildered at the anna
lg ing circumstance, I perceived whit
st form emerge from the hatchway an
70 move forward, with slow, glidin
e movement.
's l stood speechless. staring at tf
KS strange figure, the words OF the supe
:e, stitious Muggins coming with sudde
lie force to nv mind, and in spite of Ii
1t utter disbelief in the sailors absul
p story something like feeling OF aV
came over me.
r stood immovable, watching the IL
IN IRE as it came toward me. AS it DIRE
ne near, I perceived that it was GIRL al
n az the moonbeams fell on the pale ia
ut 7 recognized it as belonging to Ne'
er Dorlos, the little fruit seller.
p' Her eyes were wide open, and starI1
Ok yacantlv ahead in way peculiar
the somnambulist. She was a slee
all walker. The thought came to me II
flash. Yet, what could aSaount Tor
nd rrcsence aboard the Penguin?
e. Without attempting to answer t
ruzzling question, started toward
re figure. but as l did SO, the sound
something like the dropping OF an
l. IN a boat came from over the port. In
if a moment later the dark figure OF
,g, woman-the same had seen making
rly assault on the little fruit-seller-sllpp
I'VE noiselessly over the rail. She paused
A." a moment to glance about the sh
he then. with a cry of rage that mig
OF have proceeded from some wild
i