The Opelousas courier., 1896-01-25

CI.dI1lS upon a IHan pele,T. tAHd I'll
who witnessed this attempt Of hers
were wehderstruck by the extraordi-
mary powers Of fascination which abe
could discover ct will. psar little Bob's
simple, co%tnhrhplace talk stood no
chahee against the new and attractive
brilliancy of Alice's conversation.
| Armleigh listened to her with delight.
He was clearly impressed. An intel
lectual ma himself, he could appreci-
ate Intellectual talk, especially when Il
was set off by q swcet and musical
voice. Then, too, the whole expression
Of her face seemed changed. The riifn
immobility, which usually had graced
it, was there NJ longer. 1t had given
way to u new and radiant vivacity. In
her eyes, When she addressed Armleigh,
shonc :, brilliant something, with al
most looked like - challenge. TO meet
That look from such a quarter, and not
to feel the pulse quicken and the heart
leap, would have deirnlded superhu-
man restraint. 1onaldlArmleigh had
saahy fine qualities, but restraint OF
this description was not among them.
He was clearly being fascinated by this
new development in Alice's charms.
What people" say is not always Of
much moment. They hTs given 10
speaking without knowledge and crit
,oielhy without Judgment. But what
'people" said upon this particular mat
ter did happen to have some gro"ndH
work of reason and good SENSE They
asserted that if Alice Baii1es had taken
this line in the first instance, nobody
couid have found faultHith her. 1t
would then have resolved itself into Z
contest a l'outrance between the two
sisters for q prize to which neither had
greater claim than the other. But to
have acted as she had done, to have
taken no pains originally to strengthen
her hold upon Armleigh. to have let
her childish sisters affections become
deeply engaged with him, and then.
when he was on the point of making
that childish sister happy by a declara-
ton, to use every effort to draw him
back to herself-at the risk of wrecking
poor Bob's happiness. and. perhaps.
breaking her heart-why. this was as
cruel a thing as jealousy, in its most
extreme form, could devise. Such con-
duet toward q friend would have been
odious; toward a sister it was shame
full, objectionable. Heaven grant the
effort might meet with that failure
which it handsomely merited!
Heaven, however, did not grant It:
The effort proved successful. Bob's
| white face and miserable expression be-
trayea that, long before Armleigh's ell
| shgement to Alice was announced.
Bob's little dream of happiness was
over Alice had dissipated it finally and
forever. But twas not merely the loss
of her lover, though this was chief, but
which cut Bob to the heart. Until this
unhappy affair, Bob had experienced
nothing save the tenderest kindness,
the most caressing care, from Alice.
And +hen-on a suddep.-to be SO
treated by her, it was as incomprehcnsi=
Bile as it. was unnatural and cruel.
Only once had Bob ventured on a
timid remonstrance. Alice had
answered her thus, hardly, and almost
with corn:
"Why were you not happy and con-
tent with Gerald? Gerald is far more
suited to you than Ronald Armleigh.
You wauld never have made Ronald
happy"
Bob had burst into tears at this I'M
feeling %retort, and, without apology or
any attempt at ~solace, Alice had left the
room. No other word on the subject
passed between them.
The Gerald of whom Alice had spoken
was an old admirer of childish Bob's,
and, until Armleigh's appearance, had
been that young lady's first fayorite.
He lacked all Armleigh's brilliance OF
manner and distinction of bearing. AS
a love-mnker he was his hopeless in
ferior. Many people called him stupid.
That he was not. If rather slow of
speech und silent of temperament he
had plenty of good sound sense, and,
withal, possessed a kind, true heart and
loyal disposition, which far outweighed
his external disqualifications. Every.
one could see that he was devoted to
Bob. Bob had liked, had even been
very fond of him. She might, perhaps,
have thought that she loved him, had
not Ronald Armleigh taught her what
love reallywas. But now her eyes were
opened. She knew love now. She
knew, also-how many have known it
thus?-that with the loss of her beloved
had gone from her the capacity of that
first sweet sentiment; that it's sublime
inspirations, its deep intensity, its pure
delight, would never throb in her quick
ened pulses again.
Bob did not feel bitter against her
sister. She scarcely felt indignant;
she was simply crushed and broken.
All who saw her hollow eyes, her, sad
face, her dispirited bearing, we're
struSY with pity for the poor ckId.
Alice alone remained obdurate, and, 50
far as could be seen, ~unfeeling. It was
unlike what Alice had ever been before.
until this miserable affair. But her
obduracy was easily explained. Those
of us who have wronged our dear onss
are the last to betray pity for them in
their sufferings. For those very suffer-
ings are our own condemnation. And
we, therefore, concern ourselves to
make as light of them as possible.
That is what Alice did.
"Oh, poor Bob will Don get over it.
1T was a very trifling affair. Her heart
would quickly mend. Her happiness
wrecked? Pooh! Happiness was not
so easily wrecked as that. Besides, it
was partly Bob's fancy that was re-