The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-11-27

by return of pest, and Perlina's minC
was at rest. It did not trouble hel
much that In less than a week a tele
gram summoned him to the city. She
could use the fast-fading days of free
dom better than with an engaged lover
at her side, and she certainly madel the
most of them. She plunged into fiirta-
tion in a way that frightened even Mrs.
Kerosene Newbody, and was happier
than she ever had been since her search
for a husband commenced. As fol
poor Mr.. DowDhill, she quite snubbed
him, now that she had no views con-
cerning him. Meanwhile the absent
Kolt wrote love-letters, and she an
sWered them.
''Never shall I forget my feelings
when you went out to ride with old
DOwnhill," he said, in one of these.
Sc I really thought for awhile that you
liked him.
And to this she replied " How
could you fancy that 1 should like q
superannuated old creature like that.
I only took little notice of him out of
pity"
Poor Perlina Life is certainly very
much checkered. One morning Mrs.
Newbody opened New York paper,
and having glanced-down the column of
marriages and deaths, gave a faint
shrek, and looked at Perlina IN terri
fed way. Perlina snatched the paper
and saw this record Suddenly, on
the til, Edmund Kolt."
Edmond Kolt-there was no doubt of
It. Mrs. Newbody looked at Perlina,
prise, the young lady, though very Sc
20
"POor fellow" she said. "pm very
sorry. Do be quiet, dear Mrs. New
body Don't let's have q scene. No
one knows we were engaged, and you
needn't tell 'em. l don't want my sea-
son spoiled"
Then she arose and went to her room,
cried a little, bathed her face, used
some pearl powder on her nose. and
went down stairs to charm Mr.. Down
hill by beaming upon him and asking
him how he could be so dreadful and
neglect her so.
In a word, now that the old love was
gone, she 't,took on with the new," and
in a week Mr.. Downhill had proposed,
and was accepted. And the astonished
Mrs. GafferlY received an account of
the situation, which greatly surprised
her.
Old Mr.. Downhiu was rather more
obstinate than even Mr.. Kolt had been.
He asserted his rights, and insisted
upon the open wearing of the engage
ment ring.
There was no more Irritation for Miss
Milkin, and every one knew what had
occurred. She wore diamond ring of
great value on her finger, and was
guarded by her old beau from morning
until night. He even wrote her several
notes in the intervals, between their
parting at midnight and meeting at
nine in the morning, and in one of them
he referred to her Irritation with young
Kolt.
Miss Milkin was one of those unIueky
victims to love of letter writing, who
can never resist putting things down in
black and white. She wrote this SEN
tence in her reply: " You naughty,
naughty goose. How could I care for
a STRIPPING liBs that Poor fellow he
was very nice but only a boy, you
know" And when she had written that,
she thought how much more managea-
BILE the boy" was, and how much jol-
lier it was to run about with him than
to sit in a corner with old Mr.. Downhill,
who was always afraid of catching cold,
and who would not let her dance because
he could not. Still he was rich and she
was engaged at last, after all.
One evening she walked the piazza
with her betrothed, leaning on his arm
in the most confding manner. The
evening train was in, and people were
waiting for the stages to bring the new
people up to the door. Some one was
seen waving a white handkerchief-a
young man with very red cheeks-and
then some one called out, "Why, it's
KoIt, alive and we'll" For there had
been much Iamentation over the poor
fellow. And as he sprung out of the
crowded vehicle, they rushed toward
him to shake hands, and tell him that
he had been supposed dead.
"Death IN the papaw, you know, ol
feliah," said one exquisite. Weally
vewy cuyous how death could be in
the papaw when you wasn't dead, you
know"
at was poor grandfather. I was
named after him, you know. l never
thought what people would think. L"
Then he turned pale, and hurried into
the house, fearing that the awful news
had killed his poor Perlina.
Miss Milkin was in the parlor. She
had fled on his approach, and was really
quite faint, and Mr.. Downhill had gone
for a glass IF water. Every one else
was out of doors, and the young fellow
rushed toward her.
"My dearest love p he whispered,
" my darling you did not think I was
dead 50
eyes I did p gasped Perlina.
He bent over her and caught her
hands, and pressed them to his lips.
"Oh, I couldn't die and leave you !"
he said. "I-"
But here hand came down upon his
shoulder, and a thin voice breathed in
his ear:
"Young man, I'm very glad to see
you restored as it we're from the grave,
but I can't allow such liberties with the
lady who is going to marry me"
Mr.. Downhili had returned with the
glass Of water.
Perlina, not knowing what to do, had
refuge in tears and silence. The gen
tlemen grew furious, and finally walked
away with each other, with "pistOls for
two and coffee for four" in their faces.
But this is eighteen hundred and seven
ty-four, and much is thought of dOcu-
mentary evidence. In a retired spot
where they could not be overheard, the
bapless Perlina's letters were produced.
Poor little KoIt read with the bitter
agony of youth the woman's denial of
her love for, and engagement to him,
written 8 week after his supposed death,
and old Downhin gave q grOan over an
ether buried hope as he read the lines
on which he was set down as super
annuated creature only taken notice of
out of pity.
After this the two gentlemen shook
hands. They had no quarrels with
each other now. Neither of them want
ed to marry Perlina Milkin. She re-
ceived two little notes that evening tell
ing her so.