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VOL UME XLII- MMBER 7 WEL VE
Atlanta, Ga., Week Ending May 21, 1904
Picturesque Acadians of Louisiana and the True Story of “Evangeline
B> HELEN GRAY.
the central town of the ’state, to
Lafayette.
Kn route the train passes through an
attractive country; forests of live oaks,
pine and magnolia trees, festooned with
the graceful Spanish moss which was
called by the first student of Louisiana's
flora "Barbe Espagnoie,” because of its
resemblance to the beards of the Span-
birds. This moss, however beautiful,
is harmful to the trees, and It is welt
that It has become an article of com
merce.
It is used for upholstering purposes.
Many vast plantations are passed on
the way, one being especially attractive
because of its boundary line, which is
a hedge of Cherokee roses. When the
conductor shouts “Carancro”—so named
because the buzzards once congregated
here upon the death of some fabulous
monster, those who have read George
Cable's gracefully written tales are re
minded that they are truly in classic
land.
Lafayette is the home of one of the
most notable families that Acadia ever
produced. The old Mouton place stands
about a mile and a half from the towm.
One Mouton was governor of the state.
Another was senator. One was a brave
soldier, General Alfred Mouton, who fell
at the battle of Mansfield. The daugh
ter of Governor Mouton, delightful and
highly cultured, favored me with a most
interesting talk about “Evangeline.” It
was her ancestor who adopted the orphan
girl.
The violet pltmts were a mass of blue
at the time of my visit to her home;
the lilies were in beautiful bloom, and
the rose bushes were just awakening
from a sh-ort winter’s nap. On one side
of the house is a grove of splendid oak
trees.
WARM HEARTED CREOLES.
The first ancestor of the Mouton fam
ily on the maternal side landed In pov
erty on the levee of New Orleans, in
company w r !th three hundred emigrants,
among whom was “Evangeline.” How-
different was their greeting in the warm
hearted Creole city to that of their com
rades who tried to ian4 on the bleak
-bhsi of New England, only to be driven
away. It may be recalled that the New
Englanders were primarily the cause of
the Acadian expulsion from Nova Scotia.
They it was who incited England, and
E may searfrh tine pages of
S history, but we will find
no sadder tale than tha
whioh tells of the expul
sion oil the Aca marts troni
Nova Scotia. Had tills
simple-minded people taken
more kindly to the 'ban
ner of England, fate
would have dealt leas oru-
elly wtth them. But ha
tred of the English was
.choir natural inheritance,
and instigated 'by the
urjests. a.-constant irrdtat'ion was kept up
i- tween the races, which, culminated in
1755 in the Acadian expulsion. In his
-■ aut.iful poem Longfellow portrays their
.-.cffcning with- gr-raphle pen.
The peasant farmers of Acadia., Ig-
nora • : and living in pcaiee and. plenty,
wery awakened 'from their happy con -
•i- fitment by a nude mandate tlhat they
ina t find homes elsewhere -than under
•.he flag of Great Britain. Transports
wifi carry them -to other dimes, they are
told; for. ‘'forfeited to till© crown are
theJr iands and cattle."
The horrible hour of departure er-
i-ives: the ships lift anchor. Alas, w«
.•an picture the sorrowful scenes that
• .. . In some instances memlbers of
milies are separated from each other,
and that the exiled ones may not wish
’ -a return, they are carried away in sight
of their burning homes.
A goodly number of these homeless
wander, rs found a haven in the -beauti
ful Teche country of Louisiana, The
yellow banner of haughty Spain was
waving over the land when they roarihed
the port of Neiw Orleans, but in faith
end feeling the inhabitants of Louis
iana were French, and a hearty welcome
w. accorded the Acadian®.
BEAUTIFUL TECHE COUNTRY.
T region which was assigned to them
h:ul bcc n peopled by the A-ttakopas In
dians, a fierce “man-eating ' tribe,” a
I Vi in' -’f-nnunt of Which exists now-
in a. small settlement not. far from the
town of Franklin- While these Indians
have, for the most, part, lost their skill-
f-d-ness of ibaskefcmaki-ng, this art is
si ill pursued by isome of them.
The Tecih-e country has long been
famed In son-g and story. In picturesque
Old Home on the Teche, New Iberia, La.—Week's Mansion,
Picturesque Scene om Sh« T«che—Woman Washing Clothes.
language it is thus des-crUbed by th
poet.
hearts of the exiled A'cadians. In grace
ful loveliness through tih-is fair country,
meanil- r- 'the Bayou Teche. whose tanks,
for the most part, are lined with grand
old moss-draped oaks. The stream rises
in tiie prairie region of southern Louis
iana, and is fed 'by a number of small-r
bay a;: s Its name is of Indian signifi-
. slice, mean free spike .Veer ) r*.
legend an immense :.=erpent once haunted
Its -bank. An Indian warrior ait last suc
ceeding In laying the creature out. since
when the name Teche, signifying snake,
has ’clung to the stream.
The prairies of the Teche country are
always a source of -aidmiration to vist-
Seatfered over them are lovely
■tal ponds, which look like mirrors.
I there and there graze -herds of
;cfu-1 cattle. The aitmosp-liere is soft,
an air o-f contentment rest; over
tered themselves, the hand-loom is yet
to be seen, and the fabric that they
weave, called cottonade, is by no means
devoid of artistic Interest. A fine in
dustrial school has recently been planted
In their midst, which has already done
much to awaken in these kindly people
i’a desire for education. \\ unique-picture
occasionally to he" seen A-endia is that
of .a wash woman beating the clothes
with a “baton,” a kind of stick u«ed
to take the place of a scrubbing board.
Tile Southern Pacific railroad traverses
the Teche country in many directions.
It is only a short ride from Alexandria,
“Beautiful is the land, with Its prairies
-and forests of pine trees,
Under fine feet. a. garden of fio-wers, and
the -bluiEisit of Leavens
Bending above, arid resting its dome on
. the walls of the fr-re-st.
They wfbo dv. Y' .there have roaone i it the
Eden of Louisiana.”
. the 1, Acadians in Nova . Scotia w ere
\} *’ ncl *Vv-bfc.r. Ad, honest. Industri->u,s. illit-
rit(!s : lA £.n - - ,.r : , ;l to .
l3 fy. to a large extent, inherit b» char-
e trusties of their ancestors? While
some of the brainiest men of the state
have arisen from their ranks, it is only
within the last few years that, education
lias counted among them. In some part;
of the region over which they have scat-
The magnificent live oaks, the masses
of clierokee roses, fine stretclhes of blue
and white fleur-de-lis that form part, of
the luxuriant vegetation of Lie region,
must have gone far toward cheering the
k-CTtw-SBB t WILKINSON, the ciram-
berlain of fihe Fiesta court,
was, in private life, a law
yer and politician. His en
tire patronage depended
upon his association with
Bob Almeric, whose crea
ture he was. And so, when
the county boss came to
him at 7 o'clock that
evening w-ith a scowl on
his face, the chamberlain,
dressing for the court ban
quet, knew- that something
serious was the mntter.
“Now, see hero, Wilkinson,” he said to
th,. chamberlain, “do you think I like
Isn't, it enough for her to go back
on the ‘Drag’ without making me worry
v.-nether she's safe or not, away all night
i- this? How'll it look in the news
papers?”
-oh, Norine's all right, I guess. Tt's
■,i,,. /mo of her larks,” said the chamber-
fun. in a conciliatory tone.
Yes you'd think so. if you saw- what
I saw today,” said Boh Almeric. “You
know that Shea girl; well, I’m damned If
s jj,. ain't wearing Norine's stipphlre ring!
What does that look like, hey?"
“Norine's ring!"
• It looked mi/hty like it. when T saw
it on her finger, this afternoon, and when
she wouldn't let me see it I was sure. ’
‘'Well, what can we do about it? I
don't see how- we can force her to show
it!”
' Til toll you What we're going to do.
WcYe going to put on the screws and
tonight, too!”
•I’d make sure about the ring before
1 did that.”
"Thai's exactly what T have got to
have done. And you're going to do it.”
said the boss.
“Me?”
•■You.” said the boss, with a gesture
I -uliarly his own. “You find out about
it tonight, see?"
W hen the chamberlain reached the Ho
tel Vendome, court and guests were as
s'unified in the waiting room. The queen
had not yet arrived. All were chatting
in the lively manner of people who have
<r 0 ne together through a common ex
citement. This was the only number on
the carnival programme where the court
was not on show- for the public, and it
promised to be a merry evening.
The queen came; the chamberlain, after
arranging the order of precedence, of
fered her his arm; the band struck up
a march and the dinner was on.
Gradually she 'became aware t'hat the
chamberlain was paying her more atten
tion than usual. Before he had virtual
ly ignored her, except when he had to
address her in an official capacity, bur
tonight, as the dinner progressed, he
seemed to go out of ihis way to interest
and antuse her. Although he divided his
attentions with tact. the. girl on his other
hand scented to notice an unwonted de
votion to Isyl, also, and struck np a
lively flirtation with her nextdoor neigh
bor.
The dinner was growing merrier. They
toasted the queen, the ill and deposed
Norine and one and another of the court
functionaries. The enthusiasm spread to
other tables; talk and laughter drowned
the music of the orchestra.
The chamberlain opened another story
on the queen, and the prime minister, on
her left, dropped out of the conversation.
Then the chamberlain nerved himself for
the trial.
“Do you know- anything about palmis
try?” he began. In tlie time-honored way.
“No. only a few of the lines. Can you
tel] my fortune? Do!” said Isyl.
He took the proffered hand and looked
at it wisely.
“I can't road your palm unless you
take off your rings,” he said.
“What nonsense!” said Isyl. "Of
course, you can. I never heard of that
before!”
“It isn't professional to allow anything
to be carried on the fingers during a
reading. I’m strictly scientific, and if
you really want to know the truth, you
must take off your rings. You see. for
one thing, 1 can t tell the shape of the
fingers or the spaces between, to know
whether you're extravagant or not.”
Isyl drew off two rings and then came
to the sapphire. it was too large for
liie finger on which it had been -plac’d
by Tom Parrish, and she had put the
others over it for guards. When she
came to it, then, she stopped.
“I can't take this off!” she said, with
decision.
"You must!” said the chamberlain.
“Indeed, I won't. You can see if I
move it up to the first joint, so!”
"Well, I'll try," he said, seeing she was
determined.
“You are in love,” lie said, “don't deny
it! But you have had several minor af
fairs before. This is serious. Yes, you 11
marry—only once, though. Now bend
your fingers up a little. Heavens, what
luck! You'll be engaged very soon!”
He had seen what he wanted, for. fin
gering her hand, the name “Norine" was
for a moment visible as the light caught
the inside of the ring.
The dinner was followed by a general
reception, during which the queen’s mind
was kept too busy remembering names
and faces for any connected train of
thought.
At about 10 o'clock after the tide of
visitors had ceased to flow, the chamber-
lain approached the queen and said:
“Any time you care to leave. Miss Shea,
T can take you home. 1 have a carriage
ready whenever you say to go."
“I think I’ll leave now, then,” Lyl
said, in relief. longing to get away from
the crush, the odor and the noise. A
few minutes after she descended the
stairs to the door. Here was a carriage
waiting and the chamberlain helped her
in. After speaking a few words to tha
driver in a low voice, he entered the car
riage himself, and sat down beside her,
starting an animated conversation.
She had begun to feel herself of conse
quence, an important part of the Fiesta,
and was delighting in ihe loyalty and
homage of her chief adviser, when,
glancing out of the window, Jsvl noticed
that they had passed the street where
they should have turned off. to go to the
Willows, and were still driving south.
She interrupted the chamberlain in the
amusing story- he was telling, and called
his attention to their route. He an
swer'd with an attempt at carelessness
that he was forced to see the prime
minister for a moment in regard to Ihe
exercises next day. Isyl thought it a
bit cavalier to take her out of her way-
in this manner, but, supposing that she
also was to be consulted as to the pro
gramme, said no more until they passed
the postofriee.
“Where are we going?” she demanded
now, suspicious for the first time.
"Why, he’s waiting for me at the city-
hail.” The chamberlain’s voice did not
sound quite natural.
isyl was now really- alarmed. I’d
rather not go,” she said; "please take
me home first. Tell the driver to turn
round, Mr. Wilkinson.”
He said nothing, and the carriage kept
on its way.
"What do you mean by this?” Isyl
demanded angrily-.
The chamberlain kept silence.
Isyl now attempted to open the car
riage door, not daring to guess what his
intentions might be. But she imme
diately realized that it would be impos
sible for her to jump out with safety-
in the train she was wearing. Instead
she pulled down the window to scream.
A man in an Inverness cape was stand
ing under a lamp light lighting a cigar.
As she was swept past the fkfre of his
match illuminated his face and red hair
and Isyl saw that it was Tom Parrish.
“Tom! Tom!" she cried to him.
The chamberlain touched her arm.
"I beg your pardon, Miss Shea, but
I’ll have to ask you to keep still."
"How dare you!” she cried "Stop this
carriage imme.diately and let me get
out.”
“I’m very sorry to have to appear so
ungentlemanly-. Miss Shea, but there’s no
use in decei\-ing you "any- further. The
fact is, I have to take you to the office
of the chief of jiolice."
“What do you mean—the police?” Isyl
asked.
~t\s about Miss Almeric. O r course
you can easily- explain that satisfactorily,
i didn't want to cause a scene so I took
the liberty of bringing you here this wav.
You must forgive me, for I had to obey
orders.”
Isyl made no reply, as It was use
less to assert her innocence then. She
alighted with him at the front entrance
to the city- hall and went up the steps,
.lust before they entered she looked
bacK, but Tom was nowhere in sight.
With more anger at the trick that had
been played on her than dread at the
approaching ordeal she accompanied her
escort into the office of the chief of
police.
The chief, in uniform, was sitting at
his desk, talking with Bob Almeric.
The two men arose and greeted Isyl
with formal politeness. Isyl was pale,
Out aroused in every- fiber at the sight
of the boss who had so insultingly ac
cused her.
“I hope you’ll fo-give our method of
getting you here, .fiss Shea.” said the
chief, "but we thought you'd prefer to
have this matter kept quiet, and it
will take only- a few moments for you
to clear it up. Now if you’ll just toll
us all you know about Miss Aimeric's
leaving the Pavilion last night, and where
she is now. you can be driven home
immediately-, and nothing will be said
about tnis.”
“I have told Mr. Almeric all I know
already, and 1 have nothing further to
say,” isyl answered proudly.
The chief drew up a chair and said,
kindly:
"Miss Shea, you don't seem to realize
that this is a rather serious matter. Miss
Almeric has been missing since last
night, and her fattier Is very much con
cerned about it. You were the last one
seen with her, and naturally we have to
question you. You may know where
she is, and you may not, but would you
mind telling how you happen to lie
wearing her ring?”
"What makes you think it is her
ring?” Isyl asked. 1
“It has her name engraved inside, for
one thing,” the chamberlain volunteered.
"Oh, that’s why you talked palmistry,
was it? But I didn't know it had No
rine's name in it before.” Isyl partly-
removed it, now, and looked for her
self. Not having taken it off before
since she received it, she had not no
ticed the name inside. To Bob Al
meric, however, who knew nothing of
this, it seemed like the height of im
pertinence.
“Are you trying to make me believe
you didn’t know what was inside tint
i ing?” he said, sneeringly.
"You may- believe it or not.” snc. an
swered.
"On you 'mind saying where you got
it?" the chief asked.
“I decline to tell,” said Isyl.
The boss looked at the chief, the
chief looked at the floor, uncertain what
step to take next. At that moment
Tom Parrish, in evening dress, and In
verness, walked into the room.
"Well, sir, what do you want?” said
the chief.
Without answering, Tom walked up to
Isyl, saying jauntily, “Well, your maj
esty, are you needing a champion to
defend you? Which one of those three
shall I kill first—tiie dragon, the magi
cian or the craven knight who stoic
In a moment Isyl's courage returned.
She had absolute confidence in his pow
er to master any situation. So she
smiled at last, and held up the sap
phire.
“These gentlemen are trying to make
me tell where 1 got this ring,” she
sa id.
"And you wouldn't answer?”
"Of course not. How could I?”
"Well, then, it's largely up to little
Tommy to put on the black cap and
lloose.” He bowed, sweeping an opera
hat with a bombastic gesture. “Gentle
men, allow me to introduce to you the
wonder of the criminal world, T. Parrish,
esquire, author and illustrator of the
great sapphire ring robbery, the mys
tery- of the twentieth century. 1 done
it. Now do your worst!” And he struck
an attitude which succeeded in drawing
a grin from the chief of nolice.
"You’re a swell gonoff, 1 don't think!”
hr said. “You are Raffles, the amateur
cracksman, I suppose! Well, if you
really pinched this ring. I'll send for
the handcuffs. If it’s a joke, you'd
better wake up and get onto yourself,
or well have a scandal in hign so
ciety."
"I can not tell a lie. I took the
ring.” Tom asserted.
“Where did you get it?"
“Ah. 1 pass. But I'm glad you are in
telligent enough to argue from effect
to cause."
“Do you know whore my daughter is' 1 ”
was the next question.
"I might dare to guess,” was tiie
answer.
“See here, young fellow, talk sense a
minute. You have srot Miss Shea into a
scrape. It's up to you to squaie it.
It's no joke. She’s found in possession
of stolen property.’’
"Stolen?” said Tom. “I didn't catch
that. Who says it's stolen?”
“You did yourself.”
“Pardon me, I sakl nothing like that.
It's loo ugly- a word. I said 1 took it.
If 1 should give you a short jab on the
chin, would you say that you stole it?”
“Well, what do you propose to do
about, this, then?"
“I'll tell you. If you’ll whistle off
your bloodhounds and keep your paws
off me. I'll promise to bring a note
back from Miss Almeric within an hour
by the clock. Urfortunately this is
not my secret, and that’s the best I
can do, even for the queen of the fiesta.
Miss Norine is of age, though I say
it as shouldn't, and she has a right to
take a vacation if she wishes. I suppose.
Your majesty, do you mind waiting,
while I remove this slight blot on the
'scutcheon ?”
Jsyl nodded, and the others, cajoled in
spite of themselves, by his airiness, al
lowed him to depart. Indeed they all
welcomed the hone that he might, as lie
promised, relieve their curiosity, and
were content to wait. The men. with
the queen’s gracious permission, lit ci
gars and began to talk.
"I wonder if r ought to have hid that
chan followed? Of course there’s no evi
dence against him and he looked all right
to me ”
“Funny how we nil fell down in front
of his bluff,” said Bob Almeric. "He
came out to interview me the night that
No-rine left. Said he wanted to know if
she was at home. Lord. 1 had to take a
stick to get rid of him. He's got a
nerve. "
The Chief, now thinkng it necessarv
to entertain his involuntary visitor, be
gan to show her his pictures of rogues
Hid criminals. Isyl shuddered at the
display until he came to what ho called
Ms 'Icivil section." and then became
mo,-' interested. Presently she came lo
a photograph of three Chinese j„
ceremonial jackets and red-button
surrounding a keen-faced white man'
dressed in tiie fashion of ten years ago
“That’s Frank Powell and the rh'-p s
that married him off. his matrimor- -fi
hui’ciu. we used to call them. it’s a
pretty- good yarn. that—want to
about it?”
"If there are no murders in it "
Isyl.
''Only six.” laughed the Chief. "Bu;
they were all Chinamen, and don't count.
I hey don't have anything much to d .
with the story, anyhow."
"Then you may tell it." said isyl.
I he boss and ihe Chamberlain tilted
back in their armchairs and the chief
began:
IHE STORY OF THE CHINESE
BRIDE. OR LOVE RECUSANT.
The more you know about the Chinese,
the more you don’t. There was this :r
low Frank Powell. He had the name of
knowing them and getting on with them
CONTINUED ON LAST PAGE.
