The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1871-03-16

%4AC ff-A+f NtAtt AAO1 NAlaNtCA DLtAAANA
you, Ralf, would be III doubt which
of the two you were in love with.
Let me advise you, my son, to be
careful. Aileen might be foolish
enough to misinterpret your feel
iings and actions, and Ada might
withdraw her favor.
Ralf was about to answer, when a
sigh, a rustic Of a dress caught his
ear, and starting up he said:-
sDo not worry, mother, I'll do
what is right
He walked out Of the consevato-
ry and looked around, but no one
was visible. His mother had start
ed a train Of thought that had new
er been touched before, and he wan
dered of from the house and threw
himself down on a shady mound to
commune with his own heart.
Yes, he must know himself. Did
he love Ada? And Aileen-what of
her? Never for a moment had he.
thought of her except as she was
his friend, his confident, she would
not misunderstood his kindness
His mothers counsel was needless.
Ada loved him, he felt sure; and al
though he had never told her so,
he had certainly given her reason to
believe he loved her. Yes, he must
do what was right-what Ada, his
mother and the world expected
Absorbed in thought he continued.
T With this determination he went
to Ada. told his love, and won her
promise to be his. He believed
himself very happy, but one thing
marred his pleasure: Could she
love as another might? What if
poverty or danger of any kind
Threatened, would she brave all for
himY
All! the trial came soon enough.
A dreaded disease came upon him.
Servants fed; friends came not;
and when he called for Ada to come
and cool his fevered brow, the good
doctor tried to soothe him, and hide
the shameful truth. She, too, had
among the first,
Oh, how he suffered! No gentle
hand to soothe, no loving voice to
whisper words of comfort! Dying
alone! And then his heart knew
bat one wish on earth-to see Al
leen, Yet he breathed it not. She
must not come near him, to breath
that fatal air. Lying thinking Of
her, wishing for her, he felt a soft
little hand pressed gently on his
burning brow. She was with him,
kneeling by his side.
.A1Aileenl Aileen! Darling, away!
away!' he cried; eDo younot know
it's death hereT'
NO, Ralf 'Tis life to be with
you," she answered, pressing her
lips to his and inhaling his death
bearing breath.
She staid by him, clung to him.
Death was robbed of his terrors
then. His last look was into her
eyes. The last sound that fell on
his ear was an -agonizing cry from
Aileen, as they strove to draw her
from him.
81 will! / willp' she cried.
And Ralf Livingston sprang up
not from death, but his dream-and
stood gazing bewiFdered at the
scene before him. Ada and Aileen
both stood by; the first pale and
trembling; the other pale too, but
with look of determination and
courage. On the ground, a few pa
ces from her feet, lay a frightful,
venomous snake, stunned by the
force with which she had thrown it
down.
In a moment Ralf, as if by in
stinet, knew all. And Ada, in the
same sweet emotionless manner,
told that they had come to hunt for
him, by his mothers desire, and
found him sleeping. And she had
stopped down to waken him, when
she discovered the dreadful snake
stealing round his neck. She had
run away, so frightened. And All
leen went up-although she told
her it would surely bite her-and
caught it close up by the head,
threw it off and dashed it to the
ground.
Ralf's dream flashed back to his
mind SO wildly theni and he felt
toward Aileen as he had never be-
fore, and much relieved TO be sure
he was not bound TO the cold, beau
tiful girl beside him. And he be
ieved if she should ever be his it
would be as in the dream. If dan
ger threatened she would fly; while
Aileen-dear, noble, loving Aileen
-he knew she would never desert
the man who called her his. She
would cling by, to save or die with
him.
Turning to Aileen, he said:-
THANK you! You are a brave
little woman, Aileen! You have
saved my nfer'
There was tone Of deep emo
ton in his voice, which caused All