The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1871-08-17

" seS AOtRA u O1 J1AC p1tLLds OuS HGI-
VOusly crushed the MS. in her port
folio, and was just turning the key
when her husband entered, but look
ing so guilty and confused that he ex-
claimed:
4" How scared you look, Annie
Did you take me for burglar? ?"
ooh nc; but aren't you early {?
There's no bad news, is there ?"
"No, no, little woman, nothing of
the kind. Been writing to mother /?
She'll be glad to hear from you. Are
you going to let me read your let
ter Z" Annie was in the closet get
ting his slippers, so he did not see
her troubled face as she made some
evasive answer, and changed the sub
ject. Robert referred no more to her
writing, and Annie believed that his
suspicious were not excited-that he
would think of it no more. This was
far from being the case, however.
The day before Lawrence sailed,
Annie mailed her precious MS. 1t
was too large to be put into a street
box, nor would she have dreamed of
entrusting so sacred a secret to any,
thing less imposingly official and safe
than the central office itself. Had
not dreadful tradition reached her
of lighted matches dropped into the
boxes by iendish boys? 1t was not
pleasant to 60 down the street alone.
She hoped she should not meet any
one she kneW-Robert least of ali.
Fortunately his Office was safely re-
mote, in Pemberton Square. At last
she gained her destination, pushed
by the crowd, flushed from being
stared at, breathing fast with hurry
and excitement, but quite resOlute,
and with a sort of vague belief that
she was more likely to succeed in her
plan as it was painful in the execu-
ton. In her ignorance of postal law,
and her fear lest some harm might
befaIl her MS, she had wrapped,
tied and sealed it with cOmical secu-
rity, thereby doubling its weight.
She was somewhat surprised to be
charged thirty-six cents postage but
had you told her to cut open the ends,
label it " Authors MSS" and put on
a couple of two cent stamps, she
would have been shocked by the in-
security and publicity of such meth
cd. In her anxiety to make the adj
dress legible she had printed it so
that editors of -- MagaZi !"
ETC., might have been read across the
street. Inclosed with the story was
a note asking the editors to accept
" Stella's Summer by the Sea-" and
address reply to Mrs. Cynthia Sui
livan, BrOokline, Massachusetts" 4"
This elegant nom de plume had been
adopted, after many days of delibera-
ton, for two sage reasons: "Cynthia"
was so uncommon there would be
small probability OF its being borne
by any one else, while the common
Irish "SulliVan" might induce the
postmaster to suppose, when she
called for a letter, that she inquired
in behalf of her cook. She could not
but laugh at the sagacity and ugli-
inest of the combination. Her darl.
ing was now fairly committed to the
rude world. She felt like a woman
on the marriage of an only daughter,
as she hurried away, frightened,
proud, hopeful, and was soon safely
homeWard bound in u brown car.
All Annie, you little knew that your
husbands eyes were on you as you
fitted through that crowd; that his
evil genius was whispering that Tom
LaWrence's office was on State street,
whence you came with that agitated
look! All the evening lie expected
to hear his wife mention her trip to
tho city; but having had but the one
secret errand, she made no aIIusion
to it, and of course, her silence con-
hi E I III. 70
ceal, and was laid away in his MEM
DRY, with many another little mys-
terry, to be brooded over in solitude.
Annie was naturally so entirely in
genuous and confiding that it was
impossible she should have secret
occupations without betraying the
fact in q hundred little ways, and
her husband having-unfortun ely
for both-a suspicious and Jealous
disposition, had been tormenting
himself all this time in silence, and
giving a dozen morbid interpreta-
tions of the preOCupatiOn, the chang
es of color, the willingness to be
alone, the reluctance to account for
her time, and the locked desk-aH o1
which he had noticed since the Law
rences decided to 90 abroad. Yes,
he had been keen enough to date the
change correctly, but his unhappy
temper led him to argue thence in q
sadly unjust manner. In his defense
let it be known that his childhood
had been q warped and unhappy
one; that until he met Annie he had
been a lonely, almost misanthropi.
cal man, who having cOntended long
against poverty, injustice, and re.
peated loss, had acquired a certain
cynicism, want of faith in others
sincerity or his own success. Bright
er days, truer friends and Annie's
love had done much to free him from
these CHAINS, but the tendency was
still there. In an evil hour he re.
membered that Tom Lawrence haG
once been a suitor for Annie's hand
and fancied that perhaps she now re
gretted her choice. Was not Ton
rich and successful, and far more
genial and lOveable man than he
This demon of jealousy, once admit
ted, was not easily exercised; ; anC
though Robert struggled against it
and sometimes banished it for days
it would return and torment Linn
t1ll ONen AHu1C CdI CoSCS oSCl4SO Du
indications that she was acting part
trying, from a sense of duty, to low
him. With such a fire within, NJ
wonder his moods were fitful-hi
manner now strangely harsh, nov
mournfully tender. Sweet tempere'
/ Annie ascribed it all TO the cares o
business, dull weather and cas-
winds fearing he was dyspeptic, ant
strove with forty-sunbeam power t
charm him into serenity. AS day
went on she had her own inwar,
anxiety to bear, for no reply cam
from the editors. Every other da,
she inquired at the post Office 70
r"Cynthia Sullivan" but without sue
cess, till, at last, during the thir,
week of suspense, an envelope bear