South-eastern Independent. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1871-1871, 1871-08-18

@Don,t go, Jackl". cried; "you viii
repent it You do not know these
people" ,-.--.. .---....... -
"Beg pardoh,i do. 1 have been into.
duced to them; but l have been making
inquiries"
"Dash your inquiriesl' 1 jerked in.
"And my opinion is made up. I have
learned all about it. She has visited this
house for fortnight thus; and has never
told me-" syr r.....
This staggered me, Well, Dick Bull
man was clever, good fellow. Had Lucy
got tired of her great nstureS
GCome onf' again cried Jack. !,
Ard pushing me down stairs, he seized
his hat, put mine on, and we went down
stairs quick foot, as they say in ,the eouH'
try across the water.
Down stairs we went on tiptoe. Why
on tiptoe 1 don't know; but we were ex;
cffed and histrionic. In we sneaked, also
On. tiptoe, into Bulliman's garden, and
u were guilty-being great natures, and his
, tIionic slso-ef. the objectionable mean
ness-so often seen on the stage-of
crouching 10 listen aud spy behind a
thick cypress tree which adorned the
garden, and of looking through the
window. -..- -.,.-.---..-.-
sBoxley Down is quiet place; and
/. whether our ears were sharper than
usual, or the silvery tones of Lucy's re-
sonent voice pierced further than usual,
cannot say; but there we saw Miss Bulli-
man, in a hat, standing up and looking
down on Lucy, who, with her hat of, was
sitting down; and we heard the latter
say:
"a very cruel letter and l am afraid l
must not come here again"
i Jack gave me cruel drive with his ell
bow, such cruel drive as l do not want
again to have just below my false ribs; and
" 'Tis my letter. will uumask the hyp-
! ocrite! Come on!" .sH-s-sts
l was dragged forward-how I hardly
j know; but soon found myself opposite
| Lucy and Miss Bulliman, and heard Jacks
resolute and certainly offensive tones.
al know all, Miss Spofforth. 1 have
heard what you have said-I have my wit
ness here" He threw back his great hand
in his eagernes5, and knocked my hat
down with crash-I had taken it off DO
litely to Miss Bulliman, whom l rather
admired-and he said, fixing his large
fierce eyes upon pretty Miss Lucy, " have
done you forever" ..- -....--.
Hereupon, Lucy, who was but young
and very much in love, gave great scream
and "went off" Miss Bulliman went off
too, but not in dead faint; called Jack
Romilly a coward, and sang out for her
brother Dick. In came Dick and his
mother, too; and without any words. soon
bv vinegar and smelling -salt-Dickis
chemicals were always preferred at Bulli-
mans as being so powerful-brought her
to. Meanwhile I aud Jack Romilly stood
like two guilty and intruding fools; JACK
sufering-as he afterward confessed-the
torments of place of which he has, l am
sure no experience, at witnessing the ten
der dexterity of Dick Balliman and the
fainting of Lucy. When the young lady
was well recovered, Jack and I-for had
| to follow that great natures thought
that we had better CO."
"No-don't," cried Katey Bulliman.
ave must settle accounts with you, gen.
tlemen. Dick, stop them"
"My good Katey," said Dick, shutting
the door, "I dare say that they won't go.
What's the row?"
"Can you fight, sir?" said Jack, with
great amount of bitterness. You are
man of peace"
"Pma man of science" said Dick, slow
ly; "not necessarilya man of peace. l can
fight if want"
"Then, sir, you must fight me. 1 am
an officer in Her Msjesty's service. You
have taken away my only hope-my only
love-"
Here Lucy began to show white feath-
er; that is, she cried bit, and looked at
Jack with some admiration; she knew
that it was all his love.
al have done nothing of the sort, said
Dick. glove Miss Lucy as Hove an angel,
that's all; but know that she is bound
to you-and, Mr.. Romilly, l am gentle
man" :
sfAnd the son of an officer" whimpered
Mrs. Bulliman.
"But if you wish me to fight for Miss
Lucy, I'm willing" said Dick, "only let
me choose my own weapons. I'm going
in heavily for poisens. I've new salt
Let me give you a dose, and I'll take
dose, too; aud toss up for an emetic. If
you die, I'll make observations on you, and
immortalize you as the first victim. That's
quite as sensible as the pistol business"
Jack looked very much like fool; so
did l. l thought we'd better go again;
but Lucy had given one of those bright,
truthful, triumphant looks of hers; and
Jack was on his knees, holding her hand,
and calling himself an idiot, and begging
pardon heartily.
Lucy put her soft hand on his forehead,
and looking fondly into his dark eyes, so
resplendent now, said: =,
INV dear Jack, your large nature will,
some time, comprehend my small but
clear one. You have given me a pang;
but forgive you" - -'-i
"But what were you doing here, Lucy"
said Jsck.-he had thanked her, it seems,
in satisfactory way, with his eyes,
.that l did not know? 1t wasn't music,
was it,"
"No," said Katey; "except that Miss
Spoforth gives me, row and then, lesson.
She plays beautifully"
"And it was not science" said Dick;
"for in my laboratory, 1 make such an
awful smell and smoke that should choke
any woman"
aGod bless herr cried that dear Mrs.
Bulliman. "She was aiding me, buying
her own stores, and making bandages and
charpie for the wounded, and preparing
the BoxIey Down box for Col. Lloyd
Lindsay and the national society in aid OF
the sick aud wounded in this dreadful
warp
"Think, Jack" said Lucy, "think for a
moment of the hundreds of poor men who
lie in agony; of the wounds, the fever,
and the pain; and of the thousands OF poor
widows And shall be a soldiers wife,
Jack" e. a.--
"God bless you, and forgive me, Lucyi
But why" cried the jealous-pated swain,
"why did you not tell me?'
because l should not let my right
hand know what my left hand does; and
you, Jack, are my right handI" z,..
P. SITS all right nOwI Jack and
Lucy are as fond as ever; and Katey-
we'll, Dick is an uncommonly good fellow;
and I'm so glad that live "Next door to
Bulliman's ?'-Once Week.
| Ctr 1,.x.,. T., r.I,,5 ed