Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1899-08-12
here IN the days OF Bostock.

OF THIS mans nappiuesb. 1t WSs DIS
daughter Corslis.
She was about fifteen when last
saw her; she must be in the vicinity Of
eighteen now.
My young friend, you'll agree that
am rather too old a man TO go into any
raptures about female beauty. You
saw my wife and daughters; they are
good enough for me; they are my mod
els among women Yet ! must say
that Coralie Bostock, when l last saw /
Der. was the finest girl that l ever laid /
eyes on; and suppose that she is to- /
day the most beautiful one at the south. |
There are not many pure native !
blondes among us; she is one. But her !
hair, her eyes, her eyebrows and long /
lashes are dark as midnight
She was slender, but not petite, in
figure; her smile would captivate you;
her laugh was more musical than the
song of the hooking bird. Her man.
ners were winning and gracious, even
from a little girl
She seemed the very apple of her
fathers eye. At one time he took her
down to New Orleans, and left her
with the Sisters of the Sacred Heart to
be educated. But he could not do
without her. In less than a month he
had brought her home, and from that
time he had her teachers here in the
/, house half the year. She learned
/, quickly; music and the languages
seemed to come to her like second
nature. And never did child more
. warmly reciprocate a parents lavish
affection than did Coralie that of her
father.
Time passed on, and that fatal April
of 1853 came round.
" Bostoclx had issued invitations for
gentleman's dinner party. ] was in
: vited, of course. Alphonse Basnet,
Frenchman owning the plantation
adjoining the one / then occupied,
called on me in the morning, and
asked me II / should attend BostocL's
y party.
told him that should
> "wen," he said, 81 want your ad-
d vice am asked, too. A countryman
of mine, Castex by name, who has
lived in Louisiana, and more lately in
Arba. arrived at my place yesterday
When ! told him of my invitation
y he became greatly interested and asked
y me TO take him along"
- Take him, then. That, 1 believe,
- Is one of the usages of society the
- world over"
- "Yes, TO be sure; but Castex leads
III me 70 think that he has known our
host before. He has asked me fifty
10 questions about him. He seems much
re more interested than he naturally
u would be, growing out of any ordinary
&c acquaintance in past years must
TO take him, of course. What I want you
as to advise me about is: Shall l go over
n and speak to Mr.. Bostocll this morning
'A about him?"
IS was on the point of advising AL
40 phonse to do so, by all means, as GER
DC tainly should have done had Caste,
~ been my visitor. have often thought
III that, had l obeyed my impulse, thu
bloody combat that has been described
$50 to you might have been avoided Thel
IRIS came the reluctance to interfere in
'er matter OF ether mems social response
bilities, and l declined TO advise him
IN Alphonse returned home, and his CUES
er. accompanied him to the dinncr-part
I'd unheralded.
ew 1t so happened that these two arrive
en- last With them there were thrice
w. Ia the parlors, the host making tn
fourteenth. All who had been invite
'Ad were present, save one; and l remeu
Der that as Mr.. CasteS was presente
to the company, there was much r.
mark and Jest about our good luck
4 having him there, so as to avoid til
awkward thirteen at the table.
When he was introduced to the hos
a different scene occurred. Mr.. 30
took started, changed color, withdre
his proffered hand and made a sligl
bow instead Castex smiled, bowe'
and turned away. In my eyes he hs
a most disagreeable face, and the smi
was very nearly sneer-
1t was an awkward incident, AZ
threw a chilli over the party at Il
. start; for everybody observed it. Sti
there was no outbreak just then Di
ner was soon announced, and Mr.. BE
took led the way to the hall.
The host was at the head of T.
table, of course; i happened 20 be
the foot. Next on the right Of t
head was doctor; next sat Basnet,
80 friend beside him.
- The soup had but just been serv
'eSS when Coralie, then but twelve yes
old. came to an open door and stood
- instant. She evidently desired to spe
~. to her father, but. seeing that he a
his guests were seated, she went ava
- Castex saw her, and stared at h
thot Directing the attention of Bostoclk
mav her, he put question to him in Fren'
no-'. 1t was answered in the affirmative
Ala Basnet says that the question W
os "Is that your child, monsieur"
hose Then, upon receiving the reply, c
At tex leaned over the angle of the Ia
and made a rapid rejoinder also
soo, French. Basnet distinguished
0,ol. words: WIFE" avenged" and IN
s;o,, Orleans" More than these nobody
ed to derstood-
that Nobody but the host The rema
been whatever it was. was for his ears, {
Won. he heard every word of it. He lool
very at Castex-horror indignation, hi
4 nv were in the look. The attention
- tho whole table was fastened upou