The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-12-03
PERLINA's LAST CHANCE

This" said Mrs. GsfferIv .stb;s :
tne iest TIME, Perlina Milkin, the verv
iesO tlIne. I've spent enough upon Won
since your ma died, and I took eberga
VI YOU 20 marry SIX girls who had their
like Christmas doll. and T've '7,ou go you you
TO the most fashionable placas -1o - 1o.J..,i ~
in summer, and here you are fcD,.' o,,iS Ill
twenty, and not so much as ENGAGED
It's perfectly disgusting. Perlina or,,J
what L have to say is, if you don't set-
tie your affairs this summer TII Give
YOU no more chances. I expect to dia
IN the poor -house as it is. Wbv 1TaS
married at seventeen, and your ma st
eighteen, and your Aunt DELIGHT obo,1t
the piaiuest little critter I ever SOW
wasn't but Just sixteen. What's tbs
use OF scvantages-and you have looks
Perllna-if you don't make use of 'eyn y,
m cure / don't knew what Won
expect me to do. I cant verv we'll
propose to any one, !" said Perlina, ready
20 cry. do everything I can, and
they make love to me, Pm sure. and
they say all sorts of things. If thew
don't pop the question, how can I make
Iuem there. now suppose you
waited until Uncle CfafferIv asked yoT
Your Uncle Gaferly wonId have
committed suicide If had refused
him, said Aunt Gafferlv.
You may not believe it now. bat 7
was beauty in my youth. As for what
you can do, Won ought to know but
what ! say IS this come home engaged,
or III stop al this useless extrava-
gance. I've. crammed your trunk to the
tune Of five hundred dollars, and Won
are going to Saratoga with the Kero-
sene New body's; and if you can't do it
now, I'll give it mp for bad job"
With which speech she inflicted on
her niece's cheek that matter of course
peck which female friends chose to call
a kiss. and bade her goodbye. And
despite her new wardrobe, her big Sara
toga trunk, the prospective summer
Ravety, and the chRperoDage of Mrs.
Kerosene Newbody, poor Perlina cried
good deal in the hired carriage which
conveyed her TO the boat. What was
she to do ?" To marry might have been
easy, but TO marry money-and that
was what she was expected TO do-was a
harder task.
Aunt GafFerly was a good business
woman, and wOuld not be likely to
spend any more money upon an unsafe
able article and Perlina shivered at
the prospect before her, if this sum-
mer's campaign should prove a fsilure.
On the whole she looked so i'll when
she arrived at Saratoga, that her mirror
tod her that her best plan would be to
retire early, and TO take as much beauty
sleep as possible, in view OF any eligible
gentlemen that might put in an appear
ance next day.
Fresh as q rose, ana dressed in her
becoming morning dress, Perlina took
her seat at the breakfast table next
morning, and nestled close to Mrs.
Kerosene Newbody in the most bewitch-
ing manner.
The lady, an ample matron, with a
loud voice greeted her affectionately,
and at once introduced her to two gen
tlemen who were her neighbors.
"Mr. KOlt, Miss Milkin, Miss Milkin,
Mr Downhill. All old friends of mine.
Charmed to make you know each other"
and then devoted herself to breakfast,
and left those who preferred it to wa te
time on conversation. And so Miss
Milkir, having the field to herself, made
eyes at both her new acquaintances, and
shrewedly noted amidst her infantile
gigglings and dimplinRs that both were
smitten. They were of the age for ar
rows. Edmond Kolt was youth of
nineteen, and Hiram Downhill was at
least sixty-fve. AS n general thing men
from twenty-five to thirty ditto absorb
the attention of the ladies. and youths
and old gentlemen are in the minority.
Never before had Mr.. Kolt had such
bewitchinp attention offered him. And
as for old Downhill, his memory brought
back some dove-like glances such as
those Miss Milkin showered upon him,
from the long-vanished years OF his
yOuth, but not many.
To cut long story short, Miss Mllkln
having discovered that Mr.. kolt was
very rich and an orphan, and that MIR.
Oownhill was a very wealthy bachelor,
at once set her cap for both gentlemen,
resolving to accept the one who pro
posed first. She loved neither. A girl
with her views, who had made a rush
into the matrimonial market with but one
stipulation-that the man she married
should have money-was scarcely likely
to have a heart. A husband meant to
her easy circumstances, freedom from
her Aunt Gafferly's incessant nag
ging," liberty to fiirt as much as she
chose with ineligibles, who were often
very interesting, and freedom from the
dread Of being an old maid.
Mrs. Newbody, who was, on the
whole, q good-natured woman, willing
70 see her friends well settled, turthered
the affair to the best of her ability.
There were walks, rides, drives, chat
ting in COSY corners, and at last pro
posal. 1t came from Mr.. kolk Youth
is hasty, ace slow. Mr.. Downhil was
inst making up his mind to do 1t, when
Mr.. Kolt did it. And Miss Miikin said
" yes" and would have fallen into his
arms but that they were in full sight OF
an cid lady who bad Just leveled her
opera glass full at them from window.
Eyes. Perlina had answered, and
young Kolt had blushed rosy-red, and
" his soul" like that of Gloroina, IN
the Wild Irish Girl, presumably went
con a gig 10 heaven, for the band was
PLAYING delightful dances for their edl-
feat;on and afterward, when they had
had supper, Perlina locked herself into
her room and wrote to her Aunt Gaferly.
Her letter ended thus:
So YOU see Tn engaged, and you can't twit
me any longer. I don't suppose poor ho,'
will ever set the river on fire but he's good-
natured fellow, and I can just twist him
about my finger. And remember YOU 80
bound 70 give me handsome weooIIs weo.s elIs'sT, 'eT
and have aiwaye promised me poor ma pearls
the day married. ,r,-.
Your adeclionate niece, PEhLlNA-
Mrs. GafTerly signifed her approva.
by return of DC st, and Perlina.s mlnd
was at rest. It did not trouble ner
much that in less than a week tele-
gram summoned him to the city. she
could use the fast-fading days OF tree-
dom better than with sn engaged lover
at her side, and she certainly made. the
most of them. She plunged into hlTta-
tion in a way that frightened even MIS-.
Kerosene Newbody, and was happlsaE
than she ever had been since her searSh
for a husband commenced. AS tor
poor Mr.. Dowphill, she quite snuooed
him. now that she bad no views con-
cerning him. Meanwhile the absent
Kolt wrote love-letters, and she an
swered them.
"Never shall forget my feelings
when you went out to ride with oid