Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1871-04-13
s..THNNESSEB:

! We two t were graduates ,t at MADAM
! Ritter's, in Brooklyn"
] Belle read rapidly till she hac
reached the middle of the letter
when she burst into a merry laugh
.:Hear this, Rosa" she said, anc
she read from the, letter:
"Aboye all things, Dick, dear
don't fail, while in st. Louis, t,
see my best friend and school
mate, Belle Alden. / know yol
win fall in love with her, for, be
sides being the best girl in tn,
world, she $ a beauty and an heir
ess, and fat er's choice above al
others, for his sons wife. Ht
used to talk it over at home, anc
hope Belle would not marry be.
fore you came from Europe. She
is full as anxious to know you,
and wears your hal: and mine in a
locket father gave her last year
Give her lots of love and beg of
her to overlook your many imper
fections, for the sake of her, old
schoollellow. Jenny" t...t -. -. -
"Then this g ntleman is, OF
course, Miss Jenny's BROTHER
said Rosa, "and what will she say
when she hears of your having
met in This romantic way 2" -
81 don't intend to tell her of it
till I go TO New York this fall,''
said Belle. perhaps her brother
will call"
But in this supposition Belle
was wrong. The month passed,
and she saw no more of tie gol-
den-headed Richard.
Ard she carefully separated the
yellow lock in the little keepsake
from the dark tress OF yennysand
put it back into its place alone,
while anothe2 ,locket held the bit
of Jenny's. And, somehow, Belle
looked very, very often at the wee
golden curl, and she never did so
but the rest Of the handsome head
sprang up beside the lock and
she would sit and contemplate the
picture her fancy wrought for her,
little dreaming, the interest she
was allowing to grow in her bo-
som for Jenny's brother,
In the fall, Belle and her faith
er went to New York, and the first
day alter her arrival found her
sitting with her old friend who,
after the first effusive meeting was
past, sat down to empty her soul
am so glad you are here this
month"; Jenny said, "because I'm
to be married in October, and |
have always been crazy to have
you for a bridesmaid, and Dick is
to be Harry's best man."
Belle bIushed.
.'But Dick has fallen hopelessly,
madIy in lover
Belle turned pale.
Eyes, | was so dreadfully pro-
voked when he passed through S..
Louis aud never went near you.
But he went wild over some lady
he met on the fatal trip.
ale will talk to me by hours
of his Angelica. And when l
have spoken of you he has been
positively rude, and asked me to
have done bothering him about
my freckled school friend--you
know your picture shows frecktes
but bless. me, you haven't any
nbw! And your picture ddn't
look any more like you than il
does hike. me, not a bit"
Es"Bnt' tell me" said Belle, "is
your brother engaged TO this LADY,
Engaged ! Why. dear heart.
he don't know her name. lie
Just found some Of her old clothes
somewhere. He's got herold slip.
pers under a glass case he's got
her gloves stuffed under another
he's got her night-gown done ur
in lavender; he's got her GOLD
thimble hung on his watch cham
and do believe he's got hail
brush and some hair pins next tC
his heart. Oh, it's folly to inter
fere! He's beyond all hope! ]
/ did think the excitement of. ms
/ wedding would wean him from it
| not a bit. He looked at my new
! things as calmly as an oyster, ant
J only said-it's not kind OF me t(
repeat it though broke off
Jenny.
"Wbat was it he said ?" inquired
Belle, laughing now heartily
"Don't fear for my feelings"
@"Why, he said, I'll stand u
with your friend, Belle, and Sc
you safely married; and then Tn
off. to winter in Paris. I'm dom
with loveon my own account 1t
positively awful"
And SO Belle thought, as sh
/ = LotrI1io liz. -, 4 rio,.