The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-01-30


distance, rosy with the beams of the
setting sun, but a chilly mist was creep
ing up, an presently the glow vanished
and the white sails were blotted out,
disappearing in the great vague world
of mist and sea and shadow.
"Why, what's the matter, Alice p
said Mr.. loft, turning sharply round.
Tears All, well, yes, we know-a
little hysterical, Ell? DON'T excite
yourself, dearest. My dear poppets, we
will walk home very quietly, and then
we will have tea in our little nest"
She followed her lord and master
slowly up the hill to their home on
Lookout hill it was pleasant little
villa with fine garden.
Things went on quietly enough at
Lookout villa for another couple of
years. Mrs. loft had not been blessed
oy children, as Richard had hoped, and
the old man was a good deal crestfallen
thereat; still he lived in hope and
seemed fonder than ever of his young
wife. By and by the rumor went about
| that he had sent for Lawyer Emlyn to
make his will-he had always been very
stubborn against making wills; and
presently, when Mrs. Emlyn toiled up
Lookout hill to visit Mrs. Toft-the
Emlyns had never visited before at that
hOuse-and sometime after invited her
to spend a quiet evening in the High
street, everybody shrewdly surmised
how the will was made, and judged that
the property disposed of was not incon,
siderable.
Meantime the Peruvia, the good ship
that had sailed away that fine summers
evening. had been heard of more than
once. She had not been spoken, how
ever, later than the last October, when
she had left Kurachee with the north
east monsoon for the Red Sea, intend
ing to come home by Suez and the
Mediterranean. Any day she might re-
turn, any day might witness William
Black striding up Lookout hill any
one of the white-winged ships that dot
ted the horizon might be the one ship
that heart-sore Alice was secretly long
ing to see. He had been very good he
had not written to her sister-she had
forbidden him to d. so, and he had
obeyed her and yet if he knew how
she longed to hear he was safe-after
all. it was better nof.
| Mr.. loft was breaking little, peo-
pie said. He was no longer as active
as he had been only a short year since.
He rarely came down into the town now,
and when he did it was pitiabIe to see
him tOiiing back up the hill, making
| believe that the ascent was not painful
to him. He had been used to come
each morning to the reading-room b.lt
now he had given that up, and had the
Times sent up to him on the next day
after publication.
! One summer evening-her husband
had been poorly all day, and Alice had
| been constantly occu pied in attending
| to him, but now he had gone off to
sleep-she put on her things and went
down into the town to make few pur-
chases, intending to spend half an hour
with Mrs. Emlyn, to enjoy gossip with
that lively, conversable lady.
Down the hill she went, the cool sea-
breeze tanning her parched cheeks. The
evening was divine, and the sea was
stretched before her in long golden
swathes, the murmur of it 81 unding
gently in her ears. Ships were stirring,
some outward bound were heaving at
their anchors, and the ewell-remembered
| sailors song came softly over tho wa
ters; some homeward- bound were MAX
ing for their anchoring- grounds with
full-bellied sails. She strained her
eyes, and fancied that now this and now
that might be the long-expected Peru
via. But no, there would be no doubt
then her heart would tell her at once,
"That is Williams ship -
The sun was getting low, and she
fastened quickly down the hill. She
met sundry towns-p ople she knew by
sight, and nodded to them a good ma
tured greeting they turned and looked
at her, and watched her down the hill.
Chow rude people are getting" she
| thought. "Thele was a time when
these would all have touched their hats
to the wife of the ship-owner."
At each shop she visited she noticed
something strange about the people.
Mr.. Meagre, the draper, came out of
his little box and stared at her, and
Mrs. Meagre's stony visage appeared
over the glass door, sternly regarding
her. 1t was the same at the other shops,
everybody looked queer.
Imagination" she told herself. "I
feel altogether strange, and find my
own feelings reflected in other peoples
faces. Here comes Mrs. Emlyn,'
Mrs. Emlyn came up to her and
looked at her with vacant unrecognizing
gaze.
"Mrs. Emlyn," she cried, chow for
tunete I am to meet you !''
The lady gathered together her skirts
and passed coldly on.
"Ob, what have done-what is the
matter ?" cried Alice. She felt faint
and giddy; something dreadful had
happened. The air grew heavy and
thick all the houses in the red, quaint
High street seemed to blink at her the
sky was brassy and dnll above her. She
was as if in a dream, when the last
trumpet seems to sound, and the uni
verse quakes around. But it was moth
ing; it could be nothing Mrs. EN-
lyn was often queer.
But she turned round and made her
way home. Her husband was awake
and crying for her like a sick child.
She could do nothing tonight. but in
the morning she would go down into
the town and get to the bottom of this
mystery, if it were a mystery, and not
all delusion.
Next morning Mr.. Toft was better
much better cheerful and chirrupv.
He had his breakfast in bed, however,
and Alice took it up to him. He was
quite affectiOnate over his toast, and
loving over his egg; and by noon he
was down stairs in the sitting-room
grUmbliDg that the Times hadn't come.
''It is here now, Richard" said his
wife, bringing him the great broads heet.
She left him to his paper and went or
her way about household matters. By
and by she heard a strange sound in the
parior as If somebody had fallen. She
ran into the room; Mr.. loft was on the
floor IN heap against his easy chair.
He had fallen into fit the paper was
scrunched mp in his hand.
A strange pang shot through her.
Grief, remorse, expectation, flash o1
hope that would not be repressed. In
q moment she was herself again. She
laid him gently along the floor, rang
the bell violently for assistanaa 17ndi6