The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-02-16
A CREOLE ROMANCE.

| AZ WoS ufiLZiiuB, uuu INC DanQueCto was
OVERLAND with black slush which seemed
10 oozo from the very paving stones. The
| girl standing ON tho corner-her slim,
white gowncd figure softly outlined
| against the pink stucco of the wall behind
| unsupported curiously ut variance with
| the November afternoon gloom. The sim
gle passenger in u street car crawling past
glanced out ut her with o momentary
| gleam of interest. "She looks like q bay
| on lily, he murmurod, returning to his
evening paper.
There is nothing earthly which oan
| compare for wilderness with the bayou lily
-hovering above the dark marsh like q
| tethered soul, pure, spotless, radiant, ex-
haling an innocent perfume, its flexible
stem rooted fur below In the slime.
| The drizzle became downpour, and
tho few pedestrians sourried into shelter,
leaving the narrow street quito deserted.
Tho girl drcw n little farther under tho
nigh, projecting balcony, with its wrought
| iron balustrndo. Her white gown, slightly
open at tho throat. as If designed for in
doors, was drenched with tho wind blown
rain, though, by some miracle, tho hem
remained unsmirchod by tho oozo beneath
her fcot. She WAS very young. Tho dol
icate, almost childlike face beneath her
| round hat was pale. Her violet ewes had
i N.
against tho wall of the old building, trem-
bling, rs if frightened or ovorfatigued.
Tho heavy baton shutters wero flung
back. Their enormous bolts turned ashanti
Tho inner doors, whose upper halves woro
composed of fancifully shaped panes of
ground glass, were closed.
| On tho Same spot-christened by some
dead and gono wag tho corner of Alb
| smith and Anisotto-stood, in tho year
of our Lord eighteen hundred and thir-
teen. tho self same building. 1t was oven
then more than n quarter of century old,
and conspicuous landmark in its isolated
| situation, fow low habitutions only
clustering betwoen 1t and tho outlying
| swnmps, and but q thin scattering of
! houses stretching down to the river The
steep roof of tho single squat story was
tiled. long arm thrust out from tho
| caves held lantern over tho muddy, I'M
| paved street. 1t was q cabaret then rs
| now, and then, as now, famous for its
| "greon hours"
Its rough outer wall one morning in tho
autumn of TINT year was adorned with n
largo printed poster, which set forth in
the three languages then current in the
old town Oh tho Mississippi tho msdocds
| OF ono Jean La1tte, smugglor marauder
Il
name of his excellonoy Governor Clai-
borne reward Of $500 for tho capture of
| the said Jean Lafltte and his delivery into
tho hands of Justice.
| The laughing eyes of n knot of "appa-
| rent idlers on tho wooden bunquotte wcro
turned alternately from this placard to tho
tall, handsome man-no loss u person than
| Jean Lafltte himself-who leaned against
tho wall, tho long curling locks of his hair
4 II II
| professionally exccllency. But there were
covert flashes of malign intelligence in
some of tho laughing eyes, and nu impcr-
ceptiblc movement of the crowd toward
tho baton door at tho outlaw right hand.
His own glanccs, as he banded jcsts with
tho leaders, toying the while with tho
fringed end of his green silk sash, went
warily about. Ho knew himself to be in
danger of arrest He might indeed nav
with his life for his seeming bravado But
no was not thinking of himself. His car
| was strained to catch the slightest sound
within tho cabaret, where Henri Destrehan
was blithely quafling his glass of ab-
| smith, unaware that his enemies, sworn
to butcher him like rat in trap, were
closing upon him.
| 1t was tho knowledge of his friends i'm
pending peril which had drawn the pirate
| Chief from his lagoon Businesses
How about that last bale of smuggled
silk brocade, Lafltto?" demanded a
brawny, dark browod man lightly, edging
nearer to tho wall rs ho spoke
| Sold at $40 tho yard, for tho waistcoats
OF his excellency the governor !" returned
Lnfitte In the same tono.
| And the gold chain captured on the
high seas from his grace tho Mexican
bishop" laughed another.
| "Sold off ia inches for tbs rcpose of his
! grace's SOUL
| He had dropped the end of his sash
| His hand rs he spoke was OH tho door.
| "A moi, Destrohan, q MOL" no cried
bursting into tho dimly Lighted cabaret.
And catching the bewildered young officer
into the sweep of his powerful arm, be
lifted him from the floor, boro him through
the very midst of his enomios, turned tho
corner with tho leaping speed OF q stag.
and disappeared behind Il clamp of cabins
III tho dlrection of the swamp. A howl OF
rage ana u Holley OF shot from tho baflled
| plotters followed the fugitiyes, but they
were already safe from pursuit.
| A few days later Dostrehan was about
starting ON his roundabout Journey to
Franco. A pirogue, dancing on the breast
OF tho slnuous bayou which led away from
the outlaws stronghold Mt Barratarin.
awaited him with it's 1.-the dark skinned
peddler. If ever Observation-Disclosures
were his parting words to Lafltto with
warm hand clasp--t'if ever n Dostrehan
falls Lafitte in tho hour of need, may his
soul die and his bones rot unb,Lriod.'
$500
Leonie Destran, apparently unconscious
OF the rain which continued to fall, was
waiting still. Tho pallor of her delicate
face had increased. She moved nearer to
the closed door OF the cabaret.