The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-04-18
BY HoRsLEY BROS. s. FIGUERs
q How can I be sure that you want

y
loneliness"
What is the use of fencing, when
love You and you love me ?"
How do you know that ?"
Because you have been so careful
not to show even a decent regard .fol
me- III you had not loved me, you
would have been more cordial"
90 wiser than Solomon 70 I said
but I saw his arms put out to me at that
moment, and quite forgot what O'Clock
it was until Kate's opening the hall
door made me draw away from "my
DOCTOR"
Kate made lively talk for a few min.
utes, but had little response from her
audience.
"My dear turtle-doves, she said al
last, laying one hand on mine and look
ing hard at my friend, 't / see how it is
with you. You have reached the point
where two is company and three is a
crowd"
"No, we have passed it." said the
doctor.
"And Esther is going to marry you ?''
You have said it.
"Then / wish you Joy with all my
heart. By the way, did you bring the
engagement ring with you?'
"Of course not.
"You need not look so irate Some
men are so certain of their happiness
that they buy the ring beforehand.
to Ester out of the gate-post?" said
Kate, drawing from her finger the sap
phire ring, which she often wore.
It would be a bad omen," said,
shrinking away from it "and suppose
some one should claim it after all %
"I did not think of that, but you
could have another made like it. Notb-
ing could be prettier for an engagement
ring"
"H DR.. Gilmore likes it, I am sure /
have no objection, said at last, for
there was tinge of romance in giving
the ring a happy ending after being
spurned by its first owner.
DR.. Gilmore did like it, and put it on
my finger before Kate went of, with
some good advice about not sitting up
late, which met the fate of most good
advice. I crept into her bed in the
"wee small hours ayont the twal, F" and
she woke instantly.
"This is good example to set before
a young and innocent maiden" she re-
marked.
"Oh, Kate" said in the usual gush-
ing fashion, "I am so happy, I can't be-
lieve it."
"Oh, well, I can. Nobody comes to
bed at this time O. night unless some
thing awful has happened"
i wonder he did not fall in love
with you, Kate"
$50 do /, but some men have no taste,
you know. They are to be pitied, not
to be blamed. Besides, as have said
before, he is too aged fer me. He'll be
centurion when you're in your
prime"
Kate refused to talk all night, as ]
would gladly have had her, and I did
catch an hour or two of sleep, full of
happy dreams.
1 was nearly alone in the world, and
there was no earthly reason for delaying
the marriage except for the wedding
garments.
Dovecotes was wonderfully healthy
just at this time, but the doctors car
riage Che had discarded the old narrow
sulky. and replaced it with buggy
might be seen going at full speed along
the avenue often enough for q patient
at the point of death
We were married and went into the
village, to live in the very house In
which had first taken possession of it's
owner.
That former neighbor, who had seen
me an old maid in her prophetic soul,
said, $50 you took the doctor, after
all"
If this were an ordinary and we'll
conducted story, it ought to end here !;
but being true history, my life did
not at once come to an end, like that of
naost heroines, with marriage.
/ had been Mrs. Gilmore nearly ten
years, and had led very downy life of
it. NV love, which had run SO smooth
from the beginning, kept up the same
habit.
I mentally carried an umbrella all
those years, but it never rained any,
thing but good fortune.
Three little Gilmores made nv life a
happy burden, and my old friend, Kate
Purdy, came constantly to the house to
help bring them up. Kate was nearly
80 years old, when her fate was carried
into her aunt's house with a sprained
AUk1O, AllO Cts1uC Out VI IL LICK dCCSptOu
lover.
Many men had fallen In love with
Kate in these years, but they had been
without form or comeliness In her eyes.
The mild, colorless man whom she loved
at last with all her tender heart carried
her away from Dovecotes, and did not
see her again till she brought with her
the transcendent first baby, which was
to cast far into the shade all Gilmore
babies, past, present and to come.
One foggy twilight, hen our tyrants
were "laid for the night, we walked
toward Dovecotes. The long gate open
ing on the avenue was shut, and we
leaned upon it, to rest a moment before
turning homeward.
"By the way" said I, cit is just like
the night when / found this ring. I
wonder if those lovers ever made up
their quarrel and married after all.
"Iam quite sure they never married, :"
said Kate's husband, gravely.
"What do YOU mean ?" gasped.
"Tell her all about it." said Kate to
DR.. Gilmore. Eve are happy now. !"
She kissed me twice, with long look
into my frightened face, and walked
away with her husband.
"What is it ?" said with great eff
fort, so dry was my throat.
"It was Kate Purdy and I who quar-
relied at the gate and lost the ring.
That is ALL"
"All !" 1 repeated.
Little wife, have we not been happy
together p
"I have supposed SO"
"And have known it.
"But the long deceit"
"On my word, there has been none.
After you introduced me to Kate, nev-
spoke word to her that you did not
hear, nor looked look that you did not
see. She fascinated me once, but nev-
er really loved her."
I believe men often make this sort of
1emark to their wives touching their
youthful follies, but it comforted many
another wife. / had always worn the
sapphire ring, the sign of our betrothal,
and as we talked / had been slipping it
up and down around my finger.
AS we turned to leave the gate, / saw
deep crack in the ground where frost
had loosened the post; in an instant /
had dropped the ring into the crack
and went on, with one bruise less on
my spirit.