The Van Buren press., 1903-05-16

d
| to him the true circumstances sur
rounding the generals death. Then
he told me the sequel to my story,
about three years before Lespard's
wedding his father, wealthy sugar
planter and real estate owner of New
Orleans. had died, leaving the bulk
| of his estate to his son. Not long
afterward the young man purchased
a beautiful oCtoroon slave girl and
installed her in a pretty cottage IN
the suburbs. For nearly two years
he was very devoted, the girl during
that time presenting him with a
son. At length, however, he began
TO weary of her, and when he met
Lucille Mallon and fell in love with
her, he cast about for the best means
of getting rid of Celeste. Quietly he
made arrangements to send her and
the child to Cuba. He purchased a
home for her in Havana, placed
money TO her credit in bank and
employed a man to keep an eye upon
her.
Then he told Celeste In vain she i'm
plored, then threatened. He was mex
orable. She refused to go. He told her
he would separate her and the child,
She yielded but for weeks was pros
trated. My father was called in, and
never he said TO me, have ! seen
so great a transformation in a hu-
man being as took place in her upon
my last visit. All along she had
hoped against hope, but realizing at
last that she had been hugging
shadow, her dark eyes famed om-
inously, and she exclaimed, "As !
have loved him with every fiber of
my being so now l hate him and will
live for revenge!" Poor soul! She
has had her revenge at last, but not
until he had added immeasureably to
the heavy debt already due her!
about three years after they
reached Cuba, Lespard received let
ter from his agent in which he stated
that both mother and child had died
of yellow fever. Celeste, it appears,
won the agent over and returned to
this country with her child
1--WE were both deeply interested in
out more about it. Having at last
located Lespard's former agent in
Havana | acquainted him with that
officers death and obtained from him
| Af ha nnt nf
leste during her stay in Cuba and
afterward. For months, as a young
widow, she remained closely at home.
Then she put off her mourning garb
and extended the circle of her ac-
quaintances. Among these was
wealthy Cuban named Lanera. When,
later, he offered himself she accepted
him, and not long after their mar
riage she persuaded him to make his
home during the summer months in
! Baltimore.
Here for time l was at a loss,
but persisted and finally my efforts
were rewarded. Lucille Lespard, as
/ have said, was Miss Mallon, of
! Baltimore She had sister living Tt
! the old home, and when her daugh
| ter-thc only child liying-was old
enough she sent Ter TO that sister
! that the girl might be educated at
! the convent where she herself had
| been taught. II was during this pc
| riod that she met Francisco Lanera
and they fell IN love with each other.
| The young people kept their love
secret, he because Lanera had al
ready selected q sweetheart for him,
and she because her father had
promised her to a man named Gwalt-
ney, older than Lcspard himself, but
wealthy; and, as developed later,
holding n mortgage on most of Les
pard's property, which he had in
volvcd by gambling and speculating'
"When hostilties commenced
young Lanera entered the northern
army and his mother, who always
kept as near him as possible, was
less than n mile away when he was
executed Lucille evidently informed
ltF lover bl HfI ll'N'Hl'hNo anu
must have secured and communicated
TO him in some way the password;
and on that fatal night he had en-
tered our lines for the purpose OF
seeing her, As il chanccd, however,
Gen, Lespard had sent her mother
and herself several miles 70 the rear
that very day, a battle being ex-
pcctcd at any time, The young olli'
Ger had preferred death TO the al.
ternative Of making public the rca-
son of his presence among us; and
fate oyerrulcd that his written eX.
planation should not reach Lcspard
in time Whether he had given his
mother the password before going
forth on his Inflated crrand, or
whether she cludcl our scntrics, |
never knew, ms ! made no inquiries;
but she accomplished her purpose
and escaped IN the darkness as she
had come,
"Lucilc Lcsp0rd died few years
ago. having icycr married, Celeste
,tputtpnrpI ~