Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1907-02-14
WHAT A BIT or
COOuEIRY COST

lOriginail
Tracey Ashley. young northerner
spent winter in New Orleans. where
he met aud wooed Rosalind st. Leger
Il resident Of that old southern city.
Miss St Leger was belle and had no
end Of sutors, among them a Julius
Wariield, born and bred in louisiana
and heir to large sugar plantation.
Ashley was an ardent wooer. while the
southerner appeared TO be rather in
different
Mardi Gras was coming on and with
II preparations for unusual festivities.
Ashley, whose engagements at home re
quired him to leave New Orleans with
the advent Of Lent, begged hard of the
lady to give him an affirmative answer
10 proposition Of marriage he had
made her, but she would not.
Meanwhile the Mardi Gras opened.
On the last evening of the festivities
Ashley put on domino and mingled
with the masqueraders. Among the
throng he noticed feminine figure in
a green domino on the arm of man
dressed in red one In the former
was something familiar to the young
northerner As he passed them the
woman fiirted her handkerchief at him.
He followed the couple and at last
made up his mind that she was Miss
st. Leger Then he purchased bou-
quet from a street vender and, APP
preaching her. offered it. She accepted
it and slipped her hand within his arm.
Her attendant fell back. Convinced Of
her identity Ashley took a fancy to
press his suit without revealing the
fact that she was known to him.
"But supposlng," she said in voice
Ihinly disguised, that l am not of
your class"
THAT cannot be-" he said. zone to
the manner born cannot conceal it even
in Disguise
Il may be homely."
'That win risk"
"XOu haven't seen my face"
II have seen your figure. / have
heard your voice. Neither could be-
long to any but Il beautiful girl. But
were your face pOckmarked, were your
eyes green, your nose a beet, still would
love you"
She was silent He felt her hand
tremble on his arm
ooh, to have a lover like that" she
responded presently-"to be loved for
oneself by one who loves so well that
lack of beauty, a blemish, has no
weight to turn his lover
you will find me such. You are
beautiful. | know it, But supposing
some accident some illness, should
convert that beauty into ugliness, still
would l love you"
'Tf you only wOuldI'
II know | would"
But suppose you should find my
face, which you insist on believing
beautiful. to be hideous"
Il would love you"
They had passed beyond the crowd
of perrymakers. The torches fiickered
In the distance Shouts of laughter,
the footing Of horns, the tread of feet,
came confusedly. Ashley unclasped
the hand from his arm and pressed it.
TELL me, sweetheart" he said, sis it
yes?"
You do not know what you are do
ing"
Il know this-that love you"
when you see my face you will
Spurn me"
"Neverw
Even if you should wish to keep
your word l would not permit you to
make the sacrifice. A hero once loved
q beautiful woman. She refused him.
Smallpox destroyed her beauty. They
met again, and size accepted him. He
married her They lived a wretched
life"
at would not be so with me-"
81 would not trust YOU"
81 beg of you, do not hold me OF
longer. I am becoming beside myself.
Send me away from you, and 1 will
bury my grief under the bosom of the
Mississippi"
you don't mean it,"
81 do"
"You will surely die if I deny youT
'I will"
'Then l must yield"
Removing her mask, she turned to
ward him the face OF a full blooded
African negress. He started back.
"ReckoA yo' been mistaken, mars',N
she said in broad negro dialect.
Ashley drew forth a well filed wal
let and was about to open it when the
aegrO snatched It,
Il want it all, Mars Ashley. Eff yo'
Ion glib it to me I'll tell Missy Rosa
ind"
"You know her.?
81 ought to. I'm her maid"
keep it, and if you keep the secret
Is we'll you shall have more" And,
turning on his heel, he rejoined the rev.
.lers
An hour later Ashley again passed
he green and red dominos. The wo-
nan shook his wallet at him trium-
,hantly. He was about to turn his back
iDOn her. VVhon che lfftad J,ar ,,,aoIy apd