Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1851-12-09

latter. Il know nothing Of painting;
but the likeness is really perfect. 1t
seems to me no picture could be
more So
would you like to buy it?' asked
the young man, speaking with diff
Guilty, while the color rose to his fore
head.
4 should like to have it very
much returned the baker; but I
fear the price will be beyond my
means
Would five shillings be too much?
asked the youth, casting down his
eyes
Give shillingsf' exclaimed the ba-
ker-'fve shillings for such mas
terpiece! Ma y, sir, with joy | give
you twenty; and if | could afford it,
would make it ten times twenty.
The picture is worth it.
So saying, the well-pleased little
man pulled OUT a sovereign, which
the stranger took hastily, and, with
fervent God be thanked darted
from the shop,
sStrange!' said the baker, and he
looked at Margaret, who stood near
with flushed cheeks and moistened
eyes. "A curious young man that!
AT any rate, he is "a wonderful paint
er' Then, lifting the picture care
fully by the edge, he carried it into
the adjoining counting-house, where,
a day DR. two after, it appeared framed
and glazed, suspended over his desk.
The next morning, and many sue
ceeding ones, the young man came
for his French roll-but no further
mention was made Of the picture.
He maintained the same silence as
before. Day by day, however, he
became thinner and paler; and often,
when Margaret turned to reach the
roll from the shelf, his glance rested
upon her with an expression SO full
of sd orrow and tenderness, that the
baker, who perceived all this, unob-
served, from his counting-house, felt
his honest heart strongly moved
Margaret, too, was moi what she used
to be; her beauty had lost It's bloom,
and her smile its cheerfulness.
One evening, as they sat at tea, the
bake i could no longer restrain him
self. III tell you what he began,
that young man loves You, and you
love him. Silence! | will hear moth
ing;' for Margaret had opened her
lips With faint denial you cannot
talk me out Of it. l have my eyes,
and can see the whole affair as plain
as my hat there. l have observed
YOU both, often enough; and though
| am a plain man, | can easily per-
ceive that you love one another
He las not said so, it is true-anda
thatis just what pleases me in him,
for he must naturally suppose that,
under the circumstances, it would
not be very gratifying to me. have
looked at the affair on all sides, and
the only thing | do not like about I
the young man is his prediction for
French rolls; but he could break him.
self off this habit. He might make
something handsome out Of his pro-
fession, if he had somebody to set
him up in it. have been thinking
seriously on the subject; for, between
ourselves, Margaret, though we live
moderately, and according to our sta
ton, | am richer than people sup
pose. Nowif we-Ehl what's that
Surely no. one has been listening?'
Margaret went into the shop, but
found all quiet. Nevertheless, a list
ener had lurked there; and that list
ener one to whom the conversation
was particularly interesting. James,
the head jonrneyman, without taking
into consideration the real or sup
posed amount of his masters wealth,
secretly reckoned upon marriage
with his daughter, and reversal Of
the business. We may imagine,
therefore, how unsatisfactory to him
must have been the above CONVERSE
ton.
On the following morning, as often
happens when a crisis in ones life ap-
proaches, the young man, for the first
time, failed in his usual visit. With
"a heart full of anxiety, Margaret
watched the clock that ticked monot-
onously in the corner The CONVEX
sation of the night before had con-
cluded by the bakers resolving to