The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-09-26

non ought to know, aud beyond ques-
ton he would not have such man as
Pierre Ranneau in his house as an
honored guest
t OF course Fairfax had but crude
knowledge ofthe social, political and
moral condition of New Orleans at
that time. He was too close to the
scene for his vision to have a correct
focus upon it, and he knew but little
of the comparatively recent history OF
the city in which Wilkinson had
| schemed and toward which all Of
Burr's reasonable plans had gravitat-
ed, nor was it possible for him to
imagine the extent to which the law
leseness had insinuated itself into the
very hfe-tissues of New Orleans so.
ciety.
81 am sorry that this little mistake
has happened" said Mr.. Vernon, turn
ing from one to the other, and trying
to make the whole thing appear of no
consequence; "but it's quite an honor.
Loring, to be taken for Pierre Ra-
meau, who is>reputed to be the hand
soonest man in the South. You know
MY friend Fairfax here had quite an
adventure with that renowned robber
was robbed by him, in short, and
holds just grudge against him"
"Ah, I see," said Loring. 81 un.
derstand now. lie has taken me for
a robber."
you've heard of Rameau?"
"No; but you must recall that !
have been in Mexico for nearly three
years."
"Certainly. Well, gentlemen, this
ought to be satisfactory. Now, then,
the broken finger; let's look to that.
Mr.. Vernon hustled little and pro-
duced some ban dage-cloth that SER
want had fetched.
Colonel Loring promptly set the
fractured bone, and with great skill
and rapidity applied the wrapping.
"There," he said: "you are all
right, sir. You will have no trouble
with it," -.
':Thank you, SIR" responded Fair
fax coldly enough, in spite of an effort
to regain his lost temper and appear
kindly polite.
"Now, gentlemen" remarked Mr..
Vernon, laying hand on the arm Of
each and smiling from one to tho
other in his large way, "you are my
guests and my friends; be friends to
each other. Forget this curious little
mischsnce, this awkward mistake"
By. this time Fairfax had shaken off
the outer coating of his mood and
with something like his habitual
frankness began to apologize.
"I am quite sorry" he exclaimed,
"and chagrined that I should have
spoken 80 hastily. Colonel Loring. I
hope you understand my embarrass-
ment, sir, and will forgive my pas
sionate words. I really thought you
were Pierre Rameau."
"It's nothing at ALL" insisted the
colonel. IT don't care straw about
it. Let it drop here, sir, and be for
gotten" .,
Somehow in an instant Fairfax re-
gretted his apology. Surely, this man
was Pierre Rameau-it was he, from
head to foot.
Mr.. Vernon, still inclined to be
heavily impetuous, kept his hold on
the arm of each. With his double
muscles, not the least impaired by
age, he propelled them to the dining
room. 10
In the midst of rapid and light
conversation, Loring suddenly ex.
claimed:
.'Please excuse me, gentlemen. ]
am losing a greater pleasure than evel
your company affords me. Miss Yer
non promised to dance with me. E1-
cuse me-" as.
And he hastened to the drawing
rooms. Fairfax looked after him with
gloomy eyes and flushed cheeks. The
bare thought of Pauline's dancing
with that man went like leaden bul.
let to his heart. In fact, just then
his heart was particularly sensitive in
this regard, 1Or IL seemed 10 nlIn tnat
Lieutenant BGllanche had been doing
nothing but dance with Pauline the
whole evening; and that man, or boy,
rather, Parker-she had been un'
necessarily agreeable to him. These
were not exactly the thoughts of Fair,
fax. We must acquit him of actua
petty jealousy. But somehow he fell
left cut for the time being, or as if lie
had failed to seize the opportunity
with manly promptness.
He wandered into the conservatory,
where many tropical plants were -four
ishing. Here the music reached him
in subaued waves and throbs; the
brisk phrases of the violins were soft
ened and sentimentalized by the dis
tance till they seemed to creep
through his sense, trailing nameless
melancholy behind. He stroked his
moustache and gazed yacantly about.
(To BE CoNT1NUED.)