Beadle's Dime Novels No. 33: Maum Guinea and Her Plantation Children — page 49: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE GENTLEMAN FROM NEW ORLEANS. 43 in upon the festivities; and a group of eager, delighted countenances, of all shades of color, were visible at each. Foremost among these, and almost pressed into the ball-room by the crowd behind her, was Rose, enjoying the triumph of her young Jady with pure delight. “ By gracious! what a handsome girl!” exclaimed a tall, dark gentleman with whom Philip was conversing, as his eye suddenly fell on Rose. “Which one?” asked Philip, his thoughts full of a certain young lady. “There, in the door—a slave, I suppose. A superb crea- ture! The handsomest mulatto I ever saw!” “Yes, she is pretty,” responded his companion, carelessly ; “she’s Miss Bell’s waiting-maid, if I mistake not.” “Oh, ho! is she? I’m going to visit Judge Bell to-morrow. I have business with him—one reason of my being here at this time.” Philip Fairfax was not especially delighted with this infor- mation. The gentleman had been attentive to Miss Bell, had danced twice with her, had made himself very agreeable to her; and he was a person to be feared as a rival—considerably older than Philip, but more self-possessed, a good talker, ele- gant in his manners, aristocratic in his bearing, known to be wealthy, and one of the first gentlemen in New Orleans. But, for the present, the gentleman’s eyes were fastened upon Rose. She wore the dress which she had coveted for a wed- scribable grace, which no thoroughly Caucasian blood could ever emulate, pervaded every movement and curve of her form; her clear complexion looked that of a rich brunette, in the lamp-light; while the luster of her eye, the sparkle of her smile as she watched her beloved mistress, gave a "comicbooks:com ——