The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-05-24

one could not have detected anythin
particular. ~ i he o bur -, 30 ~.
Phil chartered hansome, lighted
4 cigar, and drove back to London, pon
dering on his present position, an
! wondering laZily how itwou d all tur
out; bat as he dismissed his vehicle a
the club door. q woman offered hin
roses for sale. He stopped, and a shat
came over his handsome insOucian
face as he gave her a, sixpence an,
took pale tea-rose ffoIp her stock
81 wish was rich man for you
sake, darling,n was the thought tha
flashed across his mind; but the Rose
bud to whom that thought was dedi
Gated was far away across the seas, anS
Phil dismissed the passing cloud, an.
/ went up the steps humming gay air
Next morning, however, his courae,
slightly failed him, when he went. 4
his necessary interview with the seniol
partner. If he did not succeed, hs
would probably have the pleasure o
making the acquaintance OF THE com.
missiOners i'm bankruptcy; aud if hs
dd-But the life that such success en-.
tailed offered prospect not too agree
able to the well-born, thorough -bred
Philip Kerr. -.
Apparently the visions of the night
had not presented the Scotch bar0net,
red hair, splay feet; and all, in too de
lightful u view to Miss TheOdosia Rich
ley; "besides,," az she mentally OBJ
served, latter all, dearest Philip was
an hOnora6le." So, dressed in q most
elaborate morning costume, all white
furbelOws and blue ribbon, she well
coined the handsome rifieman with one
of her most fascinating smiles. asaD
Mr.. Richley, though only a shop
keeper, was at heart a true gentleman
his daughters welfare aud happiness
were his first consideration.
"Let her future husband,n he often
said, .'be q gentleman, and,p above all,
agoOd man, and III. find the money
always been accustomed to.n ~.tsi
3 Under these circumstances Phil's
honest acknowledgment that he had
nothing 10 offer in the way of scttie-
ment was no bar to his prospects. His
handsome face, his kindly, genial man
ner, won Mr.. Richley's heart, and the
acute old tradesman read his character
truly. If he had no very strong points
about him, at least he had no very
weak ones. His virtues and vices were
all of the negative order, except that
he possessed a splendid temper .,.-.r
The paternal consent and Blessing
were soon given; and then appeared
on the scene Mrs. Richley, who, duly
prompted by her daughter, added her
blessing and congratulations, till Phil
felt he could do no less than kiss his
bride elect in a most calm and decerOus
way, in full view (as was proper of
her loving parents. . ~ f2'
Moreover, he was invited to take up.
his abode there for the remaining fort
night of his leave; and in a good or
evil hour, as it may seem to each indi-
vidual reader, he accepted. The l,lxu-
rious establishment in Marquis Square
suited not only Pills notions of COM
fort better than his third-fiOOr bed
room and his club dinner, but also the
state of his pockets. Rooms and din
ner were gratis in Marquis Square;
that was a great point. Ali went well
for few days, till the arrival of some
country cousins, who, being newly
married, expected to see every couple
of lovers as demOnstrative as they We're
Phil did not do enough
kissing to please them; he did not
squeeze his fair ones hand in corners
and he made himself generally agree
able without seeking perpetual tete-a-
tetes with his fiancee. .t.,, D..
"My dear TheOdOsia, - observed Mrs.
Russell, one evening, OH their return
from the opera, whittier Phil had es-
corted them, II suppose it is not; the
but really, now, if my VIII
liam in our cOurting days had not put
his arm round my waist rs We drove i'll i
a carriage, and i'm the dark, tOo,, i
should have been seriously uneasy"
Another time it was, Dearest, how
very odd that Capt. Kerr never seems
to care to be alone with you! My. Viii
liam could never bear a third person in
the room ~ ~
TheodOsia might have disregarded
this, but her own sense told her that
Phil was not q devoted lover; and
though the congratulations of the Kerr
family had been most enthusiastic.
thOagh they had mentally adopted
and her fifty thousand as a
daughter and sister dear to Their arisi o;
cratic hearts, yet there were semiryl
outlying membtrs who preserved the'l
right to opinions of their own, and
would have preferred Phil's bride being
younger and very much
prettier, even if her pockets were not
20 well lined. ...f
Now this hereSy against the right |
livine of gold, TheOdO-ia secretly re- |
sented, and again she had Visions of
the barOnet, and thought that Lady |
sounded quite a. well as, or |
better than, the "HOn. Mrs. Kerr"
In short, having landed her fi-h,
rheOdOsia was getting weary of it.
The pleasure to her was in The catch |
ing, not the keeping, and Phil was far |
100 secure and careless to please her.
Courteous and gentlemanly he could |
not fail to be, but he was no actOr.s He |
could not assume virtue he had not, /
md he could not look impassiOned, and |
ne could not speak pOeticaliy, when he
was feeling peculiarly cool and yHrdif
erent. 20 =
So time went on, till, on the morn
ng that he was to leave, it was Mrs.
rot Miss kichlcy, who greeted him on
lis entrance to the library.
at is a very painful task, Captain
Kerr, that is imposed upon me, but 1
nave no recourse" were her opening
words. 81 cannot control my daugh
er's feelings; indeed, in this instance,
quite coincide in them so does her
ather. We all feel that there does mot /,
.xist between you the love which alone 7
an render marriage state Of blessing,
md it is better at once to end this hast
ly formed engagement"
Phil stared, but said nothing.
Mrs. Richley, having applied a filmy
,ocket-handkercbief to her eyes,1west
IN: -.--.'i -
ado not answer me, Captain Kerr"
Phil, by the way, had not attempted
t.. "This decision is final yet as al I.
interview with my daughter would bel
yery painful to her and useless to your
elf, 1 must beg you will at once leave
he house without urging it."
What could Phil say? A certain
ense of relief, too, flashed over his
mind. He simply bowed, expressed
lis thanks for the 'hospitalit y and kind
less he had received, his rel1 at the
udden and, he must observe unex-
,lained termination of his engagement,
md requested that q cab might be call
ID to transport himself and his port
to the club.
So ended PhiPs dream of an, heiress.
Yet that heartless young. man was
Ictually heard to whistle "A te o Cara!"
IS he drove away from Marquis Square;
md Mrs. Richley would have felt her
elf more than ever justified had she
IL -Ix%. a.. |