The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1872-08-16

toned the TACT that he expected his
other son, Eustace, home soon from
Europe, where he had sent him tor
education in Germany. Isabel had
but little memory of Eustace Row
an, and soon forgot this piece of
news. Both the Alsager ladies
wrote to her several times. At the
first they too mentioned Frank
Rowan often.
In fact, after Isabel's departure,
Mrs. Alsager seeing that the young
er Rowan was in education, manner
and nature, a true gentleman, had
so far conquered her English preiu-
dices as to ask her husband whether
they might not invite him to din
ner. Mr.. Alsager who had made
all his own way in life for himself,
only replied, /" Good gracious, my
dear, why not, if you like it?" So
that Frank Rowan dined there once,
and then often, and was much liked
by all.
Isabel had made up her mind that
she would pay visit to New York,
and was actually writing to Mrs.
Alsager on the subject, when bun
die of letters came in. The first
was from Mrs. Rowan. After tell
ing her many scraps of unimpor-
tant news, It would up with these
words: You have heard, no
doubt, of my sons approaching
marriage with Miss Alsager. It's
a great honor, and one 1 never look
ed for. But the boy is a good boy,
well brought up, and like a gentle
man; and l am well pleased with
the prospect, as I am sure you will
be. "
With trembling hands, and doing
her best to keep her lips steady, Isa-
bel opened Mrs. Alsager's letter.
1t was very kind and affeciionate.
Toward the close it assumed that
she had heard from Mrs Rowan all
about the approaching marriage
"My dear in your country we Eng
lish unlearn our nonsense, and find
that a man is a man. Twelve
months ago [ should have thought
any one mad who talked of such a
thing. Now I am reconciled to it !;
tomorrow perhaps, shall even re-
joice. The lad is perfect gentle
man, and he and she are immensely
fond of each other. You ought to
take a deep interest in it, for it is
Indirectly all your doing. Had we
not seen you and your house it
would never come about. Now
can't you follow the example? [
shan't say what I once thought
about you, but do know somebody,
and wish you would come up and
let me give you away"
Isabel let the letters fall. So this,
then, was the end; and he had
never loved her-never; and that
last night she had nearly betrayed
herself! I! Oh, low she loved him
that night, and longed that he would
but speakl That night and always
for years and years at leastl In
the full, deep misery of the know
ledge there was to her but the one
consolation that she had not betray-
ed herself-that the secret was and
ever should be her own. She dis
ciplined her heart foe that night,
wrote two letters of reply and con-
graduation (in which, however, she
could not force herself to mention
Frank Rowan's nancy and an
nounced that she was about to leave
Florida for some other climate; one
was not yet certain where. When
she had sealed these letters she felt
as if she had signed farewell to life
and hope and all that would have
made life worth the having. She
left Florida and crossed the ocean
to Europe, and for a whole year
was utterly lost to the friends who
gathered under the roof of her old
home.
Twelve months had passed away.
and at the door of the old home
stood Isabel once again. She had
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