The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1903-07-17
I THE FALL OF THE
j, ~ MIGHTY. w
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BY MARGUERITE SIABLER.

T. VEN in the 'fifties there were
- social lines in San Francisco
drawn hard and fast, and although
they might sometimes be made zig
gag in order to get around an OBJ
stacle, they were none the less in
evidence. In the case of Mime. Del
mar and the beautiful Veronica the
clan was divided into hostile camps.
In the conservative set the name of
Nine Delmar was always mentioned
with struggling of the shoulders
and an uplifting of the eyebrows, but
they of the radical camp boldly open
ed their arms to this woman who
carried herself with the air of a
duchess. In this infant city there
was no ancient history, they argued.
and needless to say this was the pros
porous camp that took things as they
came, and fioated on the high tide.
With them it was not considered POI
lite to have a family tree where
there were SO many suspected pasts
and so many obvious futures, and
every house in the town, from the
stately row in South Park to the
cabins at the foot of the hill, was
built more or less OF glass. me
society that was characterized as
"Gringo and diluted Castilian," with
the accent on the adjective, was
society of the present.
As for Veronica, what else could
they do but take her in? Therein
may have lain the secret of their
generosity toward her mother. We
ronica, with her radiant beauty, her
rather startling love of display and
high-handed manners, was not
good foil for the average girl, but be-
cause of her marvellous voice and
great musical talent, no social gather
ing ever seemed complete without
her. AS for the men Of the town, they
were all frankly in love with her, for
no one seemed to try to resist the
spell Of her fascination. When she
danced, the circle of aspirants for a
waltz closed her in until the last one
was gone; when she sang, every
black-coat in the room seemed ire
sistibly drawn in mystic circle
around the piano; and when the even
ing was spent and Veronica had said
goodnight, the more ardent of her
adorers skurried to the corner she
must pass, in order to get last care
less nod and another glance from
those burning eyes, as bright as the
stars above her.
All this homage the naughty vero-
kaJ - sr1-
difference, as the gorgeous scarlet
popies in her balcony accepted the
suns and dews from heaven as their
own inalienable right, and drooped
and died without them.
To Mr.. Alfred Starkweather Little,
of Baltimore, this state of affairs was
not long to be endured. The girl had
managed to be the center OF their
admiration without showing the least
preference for any one in particular,
but when Little Baltimore" as he
had come to be called, felt his heart
beat seriously for the first time, he
determined, with all the ardor OF
his twenty-five untried years, that
this woman, and no other, should be
his wife, and that right away. In
those whitehead days, when year
was told on in heart-throbs, when q
man lived lifetime Of ups and downs
In . few months, patience was lost
virtue. Consequently, Little Balti-
more" fred with the courage that
dares, decided q frank understanding,
however desperate. would be prefer.
able to the Indifference and coquetry
that tortured him now by turns.
AHghting one evening from the
numbering omnibus that ran out t.
South Park, Mr.. Alfred Starkweathes
Little, with his indestructible Balti-
more dignity. approached the Olympus
Of his divinity. Ar he entered the
hallway, the melting tones that had
frat set his heartstrings to vibrating
reached his ear:
lie parlate damor
O care dor."
Taking the selection for an aunpi.
eious omen, he advanced unannouneed
Miss Deimar was seated at the piano,
ono OF the few bulky. old square
pianos that had IT an early time
mads their way exound TIE HoEn'