Kitty's Conquest

surroundings in New Orleans, to take a business-trip through the counties

he shadows were already lengthening upon the ruddy, barren-looking landscape, and now, with Iuka just before us, and the warning whistle of the engine shrieking in our ears with a discordant pertinacity attained only on our Southern railroads, I took a last glan

vory black humanity on the platform, and the equally repulsive-looking knots of "poor white trash," the invariable features of every country stopping-place south of Mason and Dixo

e one into which I had dropped, but that was because the other party to be depicted was installed within two of her, and, with that indefinable sense of repulsion which i

e. I did it involuntarily the first time, and found myself repeating the performance again

but which subsequently turned out to be a soft, dark gray; and hair!-hair that made one instinctively gasp with admiration, and exclaim (mentally), "If it's only real!"-hair that rose in heavy golden masses above and around the diminutive ears, almost hiding them from view, and fell in braids (not braids either, because it wasn't

ight say, by the jauntiest of little travelling hats of some dark material (don't expect a bachelor, and an elderly one at that, to be explicit on such a

ack on account of the warmth of the car, was undergoing complete occultation by the seats in front; yet enough was visible to impress one with a longing to become acquainted wit

in appearance, should be journeying alone through the thinly settled counties of upper Mississippi. Had she been a "through" passen

found myself almost unconsciously inaugurating a detec

her lap. A stylish Russia-leather satchel was hanging among the hooks above her head,-evidently her property,-and those probably, too

affably, apologetically, professionally curious. In fact, as "Bar" himself said, "we lawyers are curious," and take the same lively interest in the affairs of our fellow-men (and women) as maiden aunts are popularly believed to exercise in the case of a pretty niece with a

g letters; a "C" and a "K." Now was it C. K

ty, some tragic, some commonplace, none satisfactory. Then I conc

; in fact I had spent most of the afternoon in planning an elaborate line of defence for a poor devil whom I knew to be innocent, however blood-guilty might have been his associates. Ku-Klux had brought that lounging young cavalryman (the other victim reserved for description), who-confound hi

and of mine, who had written me to visit him on my trip, that we might consult together over some intricate cases that of late had been occupying his attention in that vicinit

he crossed sabres in gold upon his jaunty forage cap, and the heavy army cloak which was muffled cavalier-like over his shoulders, displaying

in front, he had the air, as the French say, of thorough self-appreciation and superiority; he was gazing dreamily up at the lamp overhead and whistling softly to himself, with what struck me forcibly as an affectation of utte

s to the cause of this extraordinary divergence from the manners and customs of young men,-soldiers in particular, when, of a sudden, Mars arose, threw off his outer vestment, emerged as it were from a golden glory of yellow shelter-tent; discovered a form tall, slender, graceful,

orementioned supercilious nose, entirely out of proportion with the harmonious and combined movement of the other features; furthermore, that the general eff

I, "what have you done

nd that functionary, proceeding direct to where she sat, thus addressed

to meet you; but if he nor none of the folks ain't there, I'll see that you're looked after all right. Ol

d her gratitude, and, in smiling, corroborated my th

and Mr. Peyton, went over to Holly Springs three days ago; but the smash-up on the Mississippi Central must have been the cause of thei

s, an old friend of Judge Summers, on my way to visit him; delighted to be of any service; pray accept my escort," etc., etc.-all somewhat incoherent, but apparently satisfactory. Mademoiselle graciously acknowledged my offer; smilingly accepted my services; gave me a seat by her side; and we were soon busied in a pleasant chat about "Pauline," her cousin, and "Harrod," her other cousin and great admiration. Soon I learned that it was K. C., that K. C. was Kitty Carrington; that Kitty Carrington was Judge Summers's niece, and that Judge Summers's niece was going to visit Judge

criticism; but when Mars caught sight of me, snugly ensconced beside the only belle on the train, the air suddenly gave place to an expression of astonishment. He dropped a gauntlet; picked it up

red that a little cloud had settled upon her fair bro

allen under the ban of your displeasure," and then was

ame in; asked me if I was not the Miss Carrington expected at Judge Summers'

ribly at fault," said I, laughing, "fo

as burnt by Yankees and whose only brother fought all through the war against them,-you don't suppose I'd allow myself to accept any civility from

aid that it had not occurred to me; but immediately as

our; he never made m

er did you

well enough what was meant. He took the hint quickly enough, and turned red as fire, and said very solemnly, 'I ask your pardon,' put on his

a boy with no other attractions than his buttons and a good figure; but Beauty's answer set me to thinking. I was a Yankee, too, only she didn't know it; if she had, perhaps Mars would have stood the better chance of the two. I, too, had borne arms against the Sunny South (as a valiant militia-man when the first call came in '61), and had only escaped wearing the uniform she detested from the fact that our regime

entorian cheers. In fact, I began, in the few seconds it took me to consider this, to look upon Mars as rather an ill-used individual. Very probably he was stationed somewhere in the vicinity, for loud appeals had been made for regular cavalry ever since the year previous, when the Ku-Klux began their devilment in the neighborhood. Very probably he knew J

n the South since the

oad. I was a little bit of a girl then, and was put at school in Paris, but mother died v

ed during the war; and George, her only brother, after fighting for his "Lost Cause" until the last shot was fired at Appomattox, had gone abroad, married, and settled there. Much

us little fairy at my side with all the hatred and prejudice of ten years ago, little dreaming how matters had changed sin