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Show -jfe .Sfcx-'iiSS7 p -" l' "Tiiiihiir-iiitrnirritrrfinMI '" This Is the lule of a courteous gentle man, an impetuous lover and a ilekk '' ' irinid. The scene luingtiy CrcBcentclty t ' 20 years or more before the war, wlicr Kcw Orleans promised to he thq largesd city on the continent, when. Its shipping ship-ping was enormous and when dueling ' ; -was the gentlemanly and approved method of settling dlupiflcs. The services at the large Catholic cathedral had just been concluded, and, through the entrance, out into the public pub-lic square, sauntered a middle-aged jnnn with a young woman, as fair as any desired to look upon, at Ids side. Her cheek had the hue of the sun-kissed peach mid her sparkling, glance ethowed Jhat she was by no menus a demure nndonnn, although she had jurt come i"rom church. Her companion wn tall and distinguished-looking, dtcsfeed in the height of fashion and carrying liimsclf with a military erectness. Everyone admired Mr. Marsden, the eloquent lawyer, the superb orator and the brilliant toldier-statesman. Kindly, Kind-ly, but imperious; with generous instincts, in-stincts, but a fiery temper, he was the ideal type of a gallant, chivalrous southerner. south-erner. The tender regard he exhibited toward the young girl with the sparkling spark-ling glances was in keeping with the attention he had bestowed upon her for . 32 month3 past, giving rise to much speculation as to whether or not he would carry olt the prize. Many disappointed dis-appointed suitors for Helen Mnnville's hand felt extremely vengeful toward the gallant statesman, none more so than Jack Culvert, a rich, talented and , . extremely reckless young man. For several months he had sighed before the , ' shrine of the divinity without making ' marked progress and then the states man had appeared and seemed to be carrying her off, despite the young lover's lov-er's most strenuous efforts. So it happened hap-pened that Jack, no better than lie hould have been, resorted to t.he con-Kolntion con-Kolntion of mint juleps and similar beverages, becoming a constant frequenter fre-quenter of the St. Charles eafe. In that great subterranean resort, where were found men of all nations, it might be ' snld, lie made the vain attempt to drown his rrow and Ids chagrin, by means of -the beverage he so persistently drew ' t through two straws. He even plunged into greater dissipations. Helen once saw him driving to the. races (thcr) were two great tracks in operation then) with the prima donna of the h Prcnch opera, whereupon the society I "belle deliberately looked the other way. J ' And many were the evenings passed at f the cafes, when hock, burgundy and the I . more sparkling beverages flowed in I " ubundunce. But the sorrow wouldn't I lrown and the chagrin always iloated I u the surface. II As the soldier-statesman and Helen n crossed the square whoen should they JR encounter but Jack himself, who looked 'm somewhat pale and fatigued. She M bowed to him very coldly, and then ig ijB nored his prusence, smiling her tswect- II est upon her companion, .lack grouud ,'1 his teeth, gazed vindictively after them 4S and then strode toward, the St, Charles, j9 where he drank three mint juleps one l ' after another. At a fashionable ball M that night he again met his divinity, '. J " who looked simply indescribable. Jack H I forgot, hu'resentment In a sudden spell jB of admiration, and, approaching, Vm begged the privilege of a. polka. She "JM responded that she v as engaged. l"fm , I ' You are always engaged when Ihap- 2 V ' pen around," said Jack, savagely. ,. B H 4'Vou, too, have certain engagements, , 1 believe," oho retorted with biting sar- H casm. J ', Jac!; thought of the prima donna and S ' J" was silent. As he turned, away Mr. J Marsden carried oil the young lady. B k Feeling the most profound aversion to 9.- , witnessing his rival's htippluusp, Jack ' plunged into the, smoking room and lm- ; ' '- mediately ordered u bottle of uhnm-w uhnm-w ' ' I wiguc. Then he lighted a-'uigar and cogitated bitterly, trying to uhut out 1 , the rhythmical melody of the orches- tra. The more ho drank and the more 'l ho biuoked the more enraged lie became. 1 Whan, after a considerable interval, his 1 rival entered, Jack arose and deliberntot 1 Jy jostled against him in moving toward tho door. A fliuh of anger crossed the I , other's face, while the lover stood there with nn insolent smile. ' "Voi: jostled me, sir?" said the rival. J '' "Oh, did 1?" said the lover. Xx 4 ' '. "You huve been drinking too much." ' ., v-. Sternly. , . i , ''"; - "Not at all." ' ' ' 7 "Von Imply intention. You shall ', ' apologize." "Beneath tho Ooks, at your couven ,i ience." , "Verj well; 1 will send a friend to ' ' - you." . "1 will bo glad to receive him. Tho sooner we meet the better. There Isn't room for both of us-In New Qrleans." The rival bowed and left tho room. |