Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1871-02-02
A Louisvllle Romanca

There lived on --- street in
an unPretendihg establishment.
surrounded BY trees and flowers,
a young lady who was celebrated
for ber beauty and accomplish.
menis. She was a blonde, with
blue eyes, white teeth, and heay
enly smile, had the prettiest hand
and loot that ever were seen, and
was tall, 1.-THE and elegant. Her
wit was delicate, pointed and
sparkling, and her mind as supe-
Fior as her form was lovely. The
town WAS at her feet, and her suit.
urs were as importuuate, if pot1as
many as Penelope, like whom
she was continually wooed AMI
yet never won. In the midst of
her successes came the war, the
end OF which found her family
impoverished, and herself reduced
to want for the necessaries of life.
Bnt she WAS the same proud,
lmperious mistress of hearts as
oelure, and she refused in quick
succession the many offers of mar
riage that were now made to her.
She had not thought Of matlimony
4s a resource, but had other and
totally different prospects in view.
She proposed, in fact, to teach q
school.
A fellow townsman. a gentle
man OF wealth and positions, and
a bachelor. bad long been silent
w.'rshlpper at her shrine, He bad
houses and lands, estates in the
country aud loisin the city, stocks,
inter- sis AID investments where.
ever tiey would pay, and his pri
vaie Establishment on - street,
w,s simply pal,tial SEEING how
the case stood with her whom he
loved with his wiOle sou., he re
solved. after many self commun-
ipgs and much reflection to- ask
her to b, C me his wife.
Sir" said she, in answer to his
proposal, III do not love you, and
| cannot marry you.
"ThiDk the matter over, my
DEAR" said he, sand in one week
from to day give me your answer
Upon bis return, Oh the day
set, she said to lin: : =
"Sir, you have wealth and I am
poor. you live in palace, ami |,
as ynu see, IN a cottage; !; you are
dgsirous of having NY hand, and
| would like very much to be
rich. | will make you a propo-
~ilion. | will throw the dice with
you-my hand against a hundred
thousand dollars Is il a bargain?'
1T is" said he. And thereup-
on they pledged to each other
their wtrd TO abide the hazard (:
II was arranged that but three
persons shnnid be let into the Sc.
cret; that each should select a
friend. and that the two selected
iri'nds should choose the third
Miss named the Hon. Mr..
-. prominent member OF the
bar, as her friend Mr--chose
the Rev. -. pastor OF the fash,
innable church on - street, as
his; and ,hpse two made the
chujce of Dir. So. an eminent
professor of the Medical College,
and the friend of both parties.
By these gentlemen the prellmi-
narieS were arranged, and the
programme was this:
Tie Doctor was to give a party
ut his house on certain specified
F.idav evening, III which were to
be present The best people of
Louisville; the Hon. Mr. -
was to have a license IN blal k
ready TO he flied at a mement's
warning. and was to hold Mr -7's
cheek frr $l00.000; and the Rev
MIR. was to he In waiting
TO perflrm the marriage ceremo
nv. il cailed on to do SO. The dice
were to be thrown in Hon. Mr..
- : study. whencethe quintette
was topfocetd to the party, where,
if Miss - lost. they were to
celebrate the wedding, and, if she
won, they We're to minsle with
the guests without remark.
AT precisely nine o'clock on the
eventful evening the players and
their friends met in the Hon. Mr.
Is study. BY agreement of
the parties themselves they were
to throw poker dice. and to cut
ca DIS for the first throw. The
gentleman cut q queen and the
lady a jack, and now came the
tug of war. He was cool, calm
and pale, she was statuesque. im-
periouS and collected. His lips
were compressed, hers formed in-
TO an extended arc, spanning the
whole mouth and completing the