LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1948, 22 May 1880, Page 3

LITERATURE.

OMPHALB. (Concluded.) Here John's utterance was stopped effectually as his head was pulled back gently, his moustache parted and the sweet kiss of a sister's love imprinted on his willing lips. ' You have certainly stopped my Greek now. But Mary, what on earth put Greek into your head ?' • John, who was Omphale ? Is it the name of a ship, or a horse, or a Jersey cow ?' ' Ah infame 1 It was the name of a woman in the Greek mythology. Oh, I remember now. A. queen of something, who had her lover Hercules at her feet, and made him cook and clean up the house and wear aprons and other female attire.'

John was certainly in exuberant spirit*. • Oh, yes, I know all that,' said Mary with a momentary flush ; 'but what became of her Y

' She kicked Hercules I reckon, for he was at her feet at the last accounts, and in a convenient position to receive that compliment.'

* What became of her, John ?'

' After kicking Hercules out of the house, I suppose she set her cap for Theseus, Castor and Pollux, or some other of those old Argonauts, and died afterwardo. I never heard of her again. What made you ask about that old mummy V ' Because among the curious " personals " of the "Herald," I have often seen this: 'Omphale, for God's sake write to Hercules.' Now, why don't she write ? ' ' For two reasons,' answered John, 'if she is my old Greek friend; first, she can't read; and second, she can't write.' John evidently was in great glee to-night. No wonder, for a moment afterward Kate entered and announeed herself as ready for the opera. That night Kate and Mary lay awake until near daylight talking over their confidential relations.

Your secret, Mary,' said Kate, ' was well planned and has been profoundly kept. I met Colonel Peyton often in society, but he always left the parties as soon as the company ceased to arrive. I have seen him every Sunday at St. Andrew's church, which, he learned from the girls, you had attended on the two Sabbaths that you spent at Mr Henderson's. He would arrive early and take a place on the pavement so that he could see everybody that entered cr left. Poor fellow. He had grown thin, and his partner, Major Archer, told me that he had urged him to go to Virginia to recuperate. (Here Kate's hand felt a slight pressure.) That he had devoted himself to his profession so ardently that he feared sometimes for his reason. Poor fellow, his partner little suspected that his splendid successes were the result of some secret sorrow that was preying on his heart. The "Ledger"and the "Herald" teemed with personals bo queer that people read them as curiosities. Erie of Dronthiem, Hedda, Saga, Pattypan, Runio Rhymes, Kitchen Apron, Omphale, Hercules, Minnie. Kose, and I don't know what else figured almost daily in print. Sometimes he looked so sad that once or twice I was on the eve of giving your address, and telling him the whole story.' 'lam so glad that you did not,' said Mary, in a tremulous voice, * I really believe that he does love me, and for my own sake.' A week or two after this, Mr Holliday, the banker, sat in his office at the close of a. long conference and settlement with his attorney. The result seemed satisfactory, for he arose and stretched himself.

' I am delighted, Colonel Peyton, with the manner in which your firm has managed this old case. At one time I thought it would prove a second edition of Jarndyce v. Jamdyce, Here is a check for your fee ; and now, as it is near dinner time, you must go home with me. My wife is an old Virginian, and I know that you and she can find in five minutes topics of conversation that will last a year. I am satisfied that you will find yourselves cousins before dinner is ready. All your State, Colonel Peyton, is akin.' ' Lucy, this is Colonel Peyton, of whom you have heard me speak,' said Mr Holliday to his wife, * and, Colonel, this is my wife. You are both Virginians, and this is introduction enough.' And, surely enough, in less than five minutes the two Southerners were in animated conversation about everybody in .Eastern Virginia, and the lines of consanguinity were narrowing close, when a young man entered, who approached and kissed the lady on her cheek. ' John, my son,' she began, but got no further, for the young men bad seized each other's hands, and at the same moment exclaimed, ' Why, John !' ' Why, Frank 1* ' Why, Frank, old fellow,' said John, ' how are you ? When did you get here ? Where on earth did you come from ? I was afraid that you had been killed in that infernal war, for I knew that you would be in it. You dine with us, of course. Come to my room and we will have a chat before dinner. Frank, you don't know how glad I am to see you. Mother, you'll excuse us, I know.' At dinner, for the first time in several months, Frank was himself again. The undisguised hospitality of this Virginia home had awakenod the memories of his youth, and his heart kindled into warmth towards his new friends. Wit and playfulness and reminiscences of old times, when he and John were room-mates at the University of Virginia, kept the table in a roar. The father and mother enjoyed the anecdotes and fun as much as the young men, though Mrs Holliday would sometimes say, whenever anything particularly wild was mentioned, ' John, you never told me of thiß. You ought to have been ashamed of yourself, my son.'

At last Mr Holliday asked. • Where's Mary to-day, said Lncy V ' She went over to Mrs Spotswood's this morning to see her little girl, who is dying of consumption. The poor thing haa taken a wonderful fancy for Mary and ia never so happy as when they are together. K owever, I look for Mary every moment, as she promised to be baek to dinner, and here she Is.' The door opened, and in all the radiance of her beauty, increased by the glow from recent exercise, the daughter of the house advanced to kiss her parents. A sudden start on seeing the stranger, and she had gained her self-possession. Not so with the young Virginian. He arose from his seat w(th a precipitation that sent his chair to the floor with his right hand, while his lefs involuntarily sought his heart; he ejaculated ' My God,' and remained standing in an attude of transfixed amazement.

' That is our daughter, Mary,' said Mrs Holliday ; * and Mary, this is Colonel Peyton, of Virginia.' A. graceful bow, and the fair maiden took her seat by John, with whom she was Boon engaged in an animated talk, in which the word ' Kate' conld sometimes be distinguished, Not so, however, with the young lawyer He had lost his self possession completely, and he rema'ned standing, with his eyes fixed and staring at the fair face before him. He muttered something about 'Miss Carter, unexpected—diligent search, Omphale,' and said other disconnected words, and finally sank into his chair, that had been replaced, and gasped for breath.

' Colonel Peyton, are yoa ill ? ' said Mra Holliday. ' Ramsay, give the gentleman a glass of wine. Can Ido anything for you?' ' Ma," said Mary with & faint twinkle in her eye, 'send for a pattypan, I think that will cure him.' 'Oh heaven,' said the poor sufferer, and he groaned in the agony of his spirit. * Mary ' Baid her mother somewhat sternly, 'I am ashamed of you. Have you no sympathy for John's old room-mate ? ' 'And now, colonel,' she continued, in order to stimulate the recovery of his lo»t senses, ' tell me something about my old friend, Mrs Peyton, of Stanton. Did yoa ever meet her ?'

'Oh, yes, madam,' he said, excitedly; 'many times. I saw her first at the old Tree Hill Course in Richmond, where che was the observed of all observers. Her skin was as clear as the sky, and her limbs perfection itself.' And kindling with a subject dear to every Virginian, he continued : ' I never saw a mora beautiful creature, In Nashville, wh«re she ran the next Fall, she made the extraordinary single stride of 2Sft. —the most astonishing feat, madam, of strength in speed on record. She was far superior in every respect to her eires, Boston and Reve,' It waß now Mrj Holliday's time_ to be amazed. Her look of wonder was evidently prompted by a fear that her new friend had patted with his semes, and ao he had. ' Why, Col. Peyton,' she said, interrupting him ; 'my old friend, Mrs Peyton, your own aunt, to be talked about in this style ' running and striding !' ' Sir,' she said gravely, ' your aunt was one of the noblest women in the State.'

' My dear madam, please excuse me,' he said in broken tones, ' I did not know what I &was saying. ' John, I feel very sick, will you take me to you room? Miss Carter— But Mary, during this extraordinary recital, had quietly made her escape. • John, old fellow, good-bye,' said Prank, now almost limp under his disgrace. * I can't stay here any longer. Oh, what an accurjed fool I have made of myself ! I was out of my senses. Will your father and mother ever forgive me. John ? What did I talk about ?'

' Yon were describing some of the racing feats of Fey tona, the famous race mare, said John.

' Didn't your mother ask me about Peyton?'

' No, she said Mrs Peyton of Stanton, your aunt. ' Oh, my Lord!' groaned the poor fellow. 'John, what did your mother call your sister ?'

' Mary,' replied John. * You said something about Miss Carter. You happened to hit it that time, for my sister's name is Mary Carter Holliday, and you said something about Omphale.' ' Did your sister hear all this ?' ' Only a part of it, for she escaped in the middle of your speech about T»eytona 1 ' 'Thank God for that,' said his Virginia friend, despondingly; ' good-bye,' John ; make the best apology you can for me. I'll stand Janything. I can never meet your mother again. Good-bye, old fellow.' And the colonel staggered to the door, and that night was in V hiladelphia. In six months from that untoward day the cards were out for a wedding in high life. Kate and Kose and Minnie were the bridesmaids, and when Mr Henderson and his wife came back from church to the wedding breakfast the joyous bride took from her purse and eagle and asked him if he recognised it. ' Now I do,' he replied, for he read engraved on one side the works ' Joy in toll,' and on the other, ' Mary Carter, Mi 20.' John's wedding came off a month afterwards, and ;Minnie, during the next week, assumed the name of Archer. Kose went on a visit to Lizzie Cabell, one of Frank's Virginia cousins, and only returned home to leave it under that new name.

My story would be incomplete if I did not say that in her new duties, Mrs Peyton, who had persuaded the colonel to move to New York, was ever distinguished by her kindness to her domestics and her sympathy and support for that class of her own sex who were struggling to support themselves by honest labor.