The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1871-09-15

IN OeIau1E OF the ue1I6SSSt anu O16zeC
to bet drinks and cigars that before
the steamer reached st. Louis Penn.
broke would find himself compelled tC
fall back on the French Waiting-mai
But Pembroke received the suggestion
with such a froWn, and one or two
words so angry and fierce, that the
Intervention Of the gOod-humoreC
Captain Decides was urgently needed
to restore pacific relations. After that
Pembroke was allowed to go on his
own way nheeded-which he did.
An amazing amount of interest,
event, romance, Iove-making, passion,
Misunderstanding may be crowded
into a voyage from New Orleans to
st. Louis, and yet not seem crowded
neither. This voyage, thanks to an
unusual current in the river, was
slower and longer than usual. By
the time the steamer had reached
| Memphis Phil Pembroke was in love
with Miss Roberts, and by the time
| the steamer had reached Cairo he
knew it.
Meanwhile Captain Decides had be-
come hopelessly discouraged in his
pursuit of Miss Rosetta Alexander.
| he frankly owned that he could never
| get any thing more out Of her than
Yes,n and a sweet smile, and that
every body else got just as much, and
! he had, therefore, no way Of testing
| his progress. Colonel Sharpe now had
the running all to himself, and seemed
nightly satisfied. The very evening
the steamer touched at Cairo Sharpe
whispered to Decides, in exulting ac-
cents, awe made it all right with the
heiress! She's said Yes; and, if papa
don't consent, III run away with her
from st. Louis :"
Captain Decides stared, turned away,
wondered within himself whether he
ought not to warn the papa, began to
feel heartily ashamed of having given
any manner of sanction to Colonel
Sharpe and his schemes; but ended
by smoking a cigar moodily, and say
ing nothing.
One thing had puzzled, and even
panied, Phil Pembroke little during
the voyage. He could not help, now
and then, detecting little glances of
mutual confidence passing between
Mr.. Alexander ana Miss Roberts, his
daughters companion, while no such
glanCes ever passed between MIR. Alex
ander and the daughter. Could it he
possible that Mr.. Alexander was weak
enough to think of giving his daughter
q young step-mother, and that Miss
Roberts, who seemed so noble, was
capable even of momentarily humOr-
ing sucha an idea? He put the thought
away, and would not harbOr it.
The voyage was drawing to close.
Soon the party would all separate,
perhaps never to meet again any of
them, unless Phil should say some
words to the one whom alone he pro-
foundly longesI to meet again-Which
words he had not yet spoken. He
dreaded the thought of separation. He
knew that he loved Miss Roberts now,
with his whole manly heart, and that
he never could be happy without her.
But his prospects were poor; he had
as yet made no way in life; he doubted
of his own worth, he doubted whether
he ought TO ask girl to risk her for
tune and fate with him and for him.
Yet he felt that he could not leave the
Columbia without at least telling Miss
Roberts all ; telling her how he loved |
her, and asking her, If she would, to
wait little for him.
Late in the evening-in the night,
indeed-he came on deck. The deck |
seemed almost deserted, and he |
was glad of it. He walked moodily !
along and watched the dRrkling shores
and the gliding trees, where now and |
then a FREELY was cleaning. Sud- |
denly he saw that close to him, at the
stern of the boat, two figures were
seated, man and woman; and the
woman was lying with her head on
the mans shoulder, and his arm was
around her neck. Phil started, and
would have turned back unseen, but
it was too late. He felt the blood
rushing to his head, and he seemed to
see lightnings dancing before his eyes
for the pair he saw were Mr.. AIeXan-
der and Miss Roberts.
He heard the whisper Of basty
word or tWO-and-yeS, indeed, even
something like half-surpressed laugh,
and then Mr.. Alexander coolly rose
and walked away; and Miss Roberts
called to him-Pembroke-by name,
and made way for him to sit beside
her!
He obeyed, with rage and scorn
boiling in his breast, determined to
show this worthless girl, this meree-
nary coquette, now little he cared for
her. AS he sat by her he could see
that she was still laughing-ay, laugh
ing in his very face!
" Mr.. Pembroke"
&C Madame I"
"GoOd gracious, what a solemn and
melOdram.ic sound! You are angry
with me 2"
F" L have no right to be, madame ~
And you say so in q tone which
seems to imply that you have all the
right in the world. Pray, Mr.. Penn
broke, don't be angry; forgive my
laughing: / can hardly help it. You
would laugh if you only knew all.'
" don't ask to know any thing"
No, of course; but you are long
ing to know, all the same. Well, Mr..
Pembroke, 1 ask you just for once to
believe in me without knowing. ]
can guess what you have been sus-
pecting, and 1 won't laugh if can;
but you are quite wrong. MIR. Alex
ander is more dear to me than any
other being almost Oh earth; but
have not been flirting with him, or
trying to marry him. Do you moi
believe in me?''
She laid her hand gently on bis,
looked into his face with eyes so pure
and a trust SO noble that every dark
some thought and harsh suspicion
were swept from Pembroke's heart,
and he pressed the hand to his lips,
hardly knowing what he did, and
said:
"I believe in you-I love youp'
Then his whole tale poured itself cut
into her unTesistiug ear; and although
for while she said no word, he knew
that she loved him.
She looked mp at last, and said:
"You know what my position is
that ain poor, dependent girl?' q
= "I dc; thaHk God for it! am poor
too. How Should / dare to approach
YOU if you were rich? Let US be poor
together-for a while; 1 shall make
my way. I know it now, abd, win
or lose, we shall be happy"
There was a moments pause. Then
the girl looked brsvely into mis- face,
and said:
"AIr. Pembroke, am no coquette
and no pFud2 i am not ashamed TO
o,-,-,, fl,ef fool 70 won ~ I rtaxyay ali