Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1873-04-29

WITCH ne was Il-uODTS. and he generally
managed to entrap Bess in the nursery.
He generally found Lottic there. too. on
these occasions.
And so things went on. I0ttic began
to find the life quite endurable-she
hardly knew why.
But all this did not eSna e the keen eye
Of Miss Margaret Coupons. At first she
simply expressed her disaprobation by
short but emphatic ahems. Presently,
as matters, to her keen vision, began to
thlcken, Bert and Lottie found them
selves int-Tlded upon attcra lapse of five
minutes privacy in the nursery. BY Miss
Margaret, who would croak forth some
imperative demand for Lottie's services.
At last, deeming reticence upon an
affair of such improperly of no further
virtue, she one day confded the secret
OF her awful suspicion, is guardian of
the destinies Of the house of Coupons.
to the head Of the house Of COUPONS.
The long and short of it Is. he 5
getting in love with her, and its my
opinion the gals drawing him on. She
concluded lengthy and wordy haranruc.
descriptive of the tender affairs she
deemed brewing between the young peo-
pie. Then she heayed 4 withered sigh
and pecred into the banker face till the
wrinkles in her own yelloy one seemed
to straightcn out in eagerncSs to hear
the coming fat.
Old Coupons never moved muscle
nor biinked an eye, only his lips SEEM
Ell to compress q shade firmer.
" Talk to 'em. Lecture them out of
it. You ought to to be able to DO it,"
And this was all the answer the
maiden guardian of the house of Cou-
pons got. He returned to his news
paper, and she turned away to fulfil
her commission.
THE lecture" she read for the
benefit of these two aforesaid need not
be delivered for the benefit of the
reader. 1t was the beginning of
course, and it would be unfair and
partial to give one and not ali, and be-
sides, they would be tedious-as they
were to Bert and Loltie.
But it did no good.
|" Lottie is good girl" said Bert
rand. And that was all the satisfac-
ton his soiicitOus aunt got out of him.
Poor LOttie! She soon found her.
self in most embarrassing position.
TO put it mildly, the " lectures " were
extremely distasteful To her. But
Bert often consoled her. She more
than ouce determined to resign her
situation. Bert begged her not to, |
and she kept it for his sake. Bert |
was her good angel-Bert and little |
BrSs.
Miss Margaret reported progress 70 |
the head OF the family. Old Coupons |
invited his first-born to an interview, !
and opened the bail by percmptorily |
his son never again to speak |
10 the pretty goveTness. save in his, |
the seniors presence, under pain of |
disownment. Old Coupon demanded |
n promise. Bertrand nIOotlily walked |
the flOOr-and promised For week |
the son Kept his own counsel. LOttie |
seemed to understand why he did not |
come to the nursery, and OILY spoke |
TO her ut meal times. His eyes told |
her something more.
One day Bertrand sat in the library,
whittier of late it had been his wont |
to betake himself. Bess came romp- |
ing in.
i love oo-and love Miss Lnttic, |
twining her arms about his neck.
He smiled, kissed the child and gave |
her some pictures to look at. Then |
sat modify thinking for awhile
Lottie he'd not appeared at all that |
day-had sent word that she was un- |
well. All at once he scratched a few |
lines on a piece OF paper, picked up |
BesSie's wax doll lying on the floor, |
where the child had dropped it care
lessly, and tucked the paper into the |
dolls hollow neck. Then he put on |
his hat and overcoat and went out.
At tea time Lottie appeared, and he |
to articulate, so that she |
alone heard him.
Examine the dolls head! :"
Not without some little wonder and !
perpleXity did Lottie fulfil his direc- |
lions, and till she drew the paper from |
its curious hiding-place, did not fully
the significance of his |
She gave IL little cry of |
Joy and intelligence, and peruscd the
lines. They ran
LOTTIE, DARLING: | have found !
out that | love you-that you belong |
to me and that | must have you. ] |
know you are brave and true little |
woman. Is your answer yes? Reply |
the dolls head
BERTRAND.
Next day in the library Bess came
to him. He told her story, and play
ed with her doll the while. Presently |
he stopped in what seemed to Bcss a |
very interesting part of the narrative.
That young person looked up at him
What you dOt?" she said
said.
1t read
DEAREST BERTRAND Il do love
you, and | will write yes. But your
father and-auntI Oh. Bertrand, |
what will happen vixen they know
of it,"
Bertrand looked Mt Bess. She was
asleep. He studied a minute, and the
lines about his fine mouth grew more
He wrote on the back |
Of the paper hurrietlly, tucked it back
in the dolls hollow head, and took tie
child into her aunt's boulder and laid |
her gently on the couch.
Bess woke up, OF course, noted her
iemure relative sitting sewing in the
apartment. then. in the pensiye mood
which in childhood usually succeeds n
nap, began working at ner doll. What
prompted her to explore the hidden
mysteries Of its head we cannot tell
Some wicked fairy, perhaps.
Something dropped out of the dolls
heal. Bess picked it ur and eXamin-
I'd it.
"Oh, low funny. I tinll Bertie hide
lat in dere o purpose to PLACE me,
she said.
The evil genius OF curiosity. com
non to her sex, caused the elderly
'pinster to examine the piece Of paper
llso.
Her appearance it would be difficult
o describe, as she perused. The read
II knows what one side eontained.-
)n the other it read
"Be ready tomorrow night. Come
,ut ut the front door. | will be there.
BERTRAND
This almost stunned the lady. a
marriage between the penniless COVER
less and her nephew was not a thing
loxyp i'm tho hills Mud n Filua,vaN