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

to see if the doctor was coming. Mr.
Emlyn, the lawyer, was walking quickly
up the hill, newspaper under his arm.
He looked sternly at her as he ap-
preached.
"I must see Mr.. loft, he said, as he
reached the door.
You cannot see him he is very i'll, y
said Alice.
The window of Mr.. Toft's room was
open, and he must have heard Mr..
Emlyn's voice.
"Show Mr.. Emlyn up," he cried, in
harsh shrieking tones. "Come here,
sir-Come here!"
Mr.. Emlyn pushed his way in, and
up the staircase Alice was too fright
ened to forbid him. The gardener pre-
sently came in for pens and ink, took
them up to his master, and then waited
at the bottom of the stairs.
You had better go to your work
again, Thomas, said Alice; "we can
manage without you now"
Master said I was to stay here"
She said nothing more, but went into
the sitting-room, and waited and
wa ched in dull bewildered expectation.
Then she heard Mr.. Emlyn's voice:
Thomas, come up, and bring one of
your fellow-servants."
There was a trampling upstairs and
then down; after that Mr.. Emlyn came
out of her husbands room he left the
house forthwith without speaking to
Alice. Then the doctor came he too
was shown upstairs. By and by he
came down into her room where Alice
was. He took her kindly by the hand.
My dear Mrs. loft, prepare your
self for bad news"
''Is he very i'll ?" grasped Alice.
" Yes, very i'll nay, he is dead.
After that the days passed like a
dream till the day of the funeral. She
wished to follow him to the grave-for
he had been very good to her, she
thought and row that he was gone her
mind misgave her that she had been
faithless to him, not in deed, but in
heart-but this was forbidden by those
who had the management of affairs.
A relation of Mr.. loft had turned up,
nephew, lanky rawboned youth,
with long neck and tuft of red hair on
his chin and this Ephraim loft was
the chief mourner. Mr.. Emlyn also
was ct the funeral, and when they re
turned they went into the parlor and
drank wine, and afterwards sent for
Mrs. loft to hear the will read.
He was solemn courteous man, this
Emlyn, with a full resounding voice,
and he read out the terms of the will
distinctly and sonorously. It was diff
cult to repress a feeling of elation as
he rolled over the list of Mr.. Toft's
possessions and ended with the clause
that left his wife sole legatee and execu-
trix. How, through the gloom of this
day, bright vistas OF the future cleaned
and shone
"Ahem there is codici1," " said Mr..
Emlyn and bit by bit the eodicil, un-
did all that the will had DONE The
lanky nephew unceiled himself and
glOwered and blinked with amazement
and delight. There was but one be-
quest to Alicia copy of the Times
of June, of the day previous to the
old mans death.
They left her to herself for a while,
and she tried to grasp what all this
meant. The lawyer had olite1y handed
to the widow her legacy, the copy of
the Times. What could;i mean?
All, yes, it was dreadful, this poverty,
after wealth had seemed within her
grasp. But still there was youth and
hope, and WilliEm-yes, she might
think of him now, fully and freely.
She carried no burden of gratitude,
she was bound to no respectful memory
of the dead. She was free now, and
perhaps William was close at hand.
Well, she would read the Times.
Presently she clasped her hands to
her forehead, and, with strained and
horror-struck eyes, she read this par
agraph:
ORREh1oT AT SEA.-A pathetic incident is
narrated by the master of the steamship
Suez, just arrived at Liverpool. 1t apeaIs
that In the Indian Ocean she met with q dis
masted vessel apparently abandoned by the
crew. boat was sent to board her, when the
following slgbt met the eyes of the officer.
The main and upper decks had been swept
clean by the sea- the bulwarks were carried
away and every vestige of the spars and rig
glng. No living being was found on board,
but in the captains cabin ives the body OF a
young man with golden hair and beard, much
decofnposed. A letter was lying on the table,
which was brought away by the boats crew,
and we are requested to give it in full, as it
may lead to the Identification of the ship
DEAREST ALICE-How often hays I thought
of our last parting ind lOnged once more to
cla9p you in my arms! Love like ours is never
TO be parted, let the sulky old centenarian do
as he please. I write to you at your sisters,
as you desired me, No. 10 Bond street, Mel
ford Regis. How well remember the happy
hours we have spent there! am in command
of the ship now" The rest Of the letter is
illegibls except the words Come to me,
D
sunk in the sea- the vessel left to its fate, and
the steamer continued her course.
That night, as the sun was setting,
lighting up with golden flames the
broad estuary of Melford, the tide was
at its full, and white-winged ships were
floating in upon it's bosom, a young
girl appeared on the farthest extremity
of the landing stage, and poisiDg her
self for "a moment, and taking last
| long look at all the beautiful scene
around, cast herself into the waters,
which closed around her with a sullen
ripple. Once and once again a white
arm was seen at the. surface; boats put
out, and men with ropes shouted and
! gssticuIeted from the shore but it was
/ of no use, the sea claimed its own, and
still boards in its hidden treasury the
! bones of William and Alice,