The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1897-01-09
A STORM ON Il COAST.

1t was during one of those hot spells
in the month of june, when between
the mosquitoes and the heatlife seemed
~unbearable, that Dalton suggested a
hasty retreat to the pine woods and gulf
breezes on the Mississippi sound.
@By an means," / said. "There is
nothing doing in the way Of business
here; we are tied down by reason of
other peoples absence to our Office
desks, SO we might just as well take up
our quarters until fall by the blue wa
tiers Of the gulf and run in daily to see
mail.''
Then 1 bethonght me Of an elderly
aunt Of mine, Aunt d,Arville, whom I
had NOT seen for quite a number OF
years, partly from disinclination, for
I preserved a vivid recollection Of her
UNPLEASANT manners, and partly be-
cause I had been absent abroad repre-
senting cur house, first in Hayre and
then in Bremen.
I'VE viii go to Seaview cottages" I
said to Fired. II have an elderly relative.
who win take us in, / have no doubt,
and as we will be out of the house most
Of the time fishing or sailing, the old
lady's moods and temper will not be i'm
toIerahle.r
Aunt Martha was a caution, I remem-
bered, "a those days OF my youth, when
I'VE were Familiarity acquainted With
each other.
4 suppose the poor souls temper had
been soured BY her husbands failure
and his too philosophical acceptance OF
it afterward.
His death later on did not mend mat
tiers; for like all people of her exacting
temperament, and hard, determined,
narrow-minded nature, she was te-
nacious in her affection,if wearisome in
a degree in the repressed, vehement,
puritanical way she had of showing it,
and her grief, while sincere and re-
spectacle, was an added ~inhiction to her
surroundings.
# was a dreary atmosphere in which
to bring up her only child, that pale
faced little cousin Of mine, Adele.
7 wondered vaguely what sort Of a
young oma she had grown into.
She was d plain child. Her only re-
deeming feature / could recall was her
eyes. She had inherited them from her
father. They were large and brown,
soft and brilliant, and were yelled with
thick, dark Eases, which threw 4
shadow on her pale little face. making
her look, Z thought, still more frail and
melancholy.
What had Induced Aunt Martha to
marry our consul, Paul Beremmaux
4 Arville, no one had been able to dis.
cover unless it was his brilliant wit
intense divergence from herself and
handsome face.
Certainly no two people were ever
more dissimilar in taste and modes O.
thought and I fancy d'Arville, whom
always looked on as a most fascinat
Ing man from his fine manners, versa,
tile conversation and general attract.
i~veness, soon wearied Of his wife's toe
austere, methodicaI temper and habits
No doubt he failed tosdiscover under
her cold, precise manner the Hne feeling
and nature which lay hid and did not
reveal itself SO, like many another
marriage. they grew apart, and wher
financial troubles befeIl She became
AaEhH anu 0ANt&1a @AOclB n DOrG mel
burdens bravely and d'ArsiIIe driftec
Into club habits and kept out Of tht
house.
SeavieW Is q beautiful place.
a lo~s wide-apreading cottage, who's
windows and piazzas are covered viii
laundering rose vines and whose greer
lawn is shaded nv gigantic oaks it IN,
Fifes to repose.
Az . boy ! would loil on Of the
various benches under their shade
reading some novel or detective story
while the soft swish Of the water on Til
narrow beach just beyond the garder
gate played 0 minor key to the thrill
ing incidents to the story. or / would
sit on the grass and mend my lines anc
nets, while little pale-faced Del would
sit curled up with her Newfoundland
f. p subdueds silent way, By my side.
There u splendid fishing round the
islands out 10 the bay, a few hours run
ucross from seayiewD = + said to Fred, q,