The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-10-15
MOST MYSTERIOUS.

my urSL clerKBnlp, by the way used
to count a great deal on my vacation-it
was four weeks in September-and lay
a God many plans about spending il
pleasantly. OF course an invitation to
some nice place was very acceptable,
for junior clerks income is not often
large and this year, 18-no matter for
the last fgures-I was very much in
hopes of two, one from my maternal
grandmother In Virginia. another from
my old friend Charlie Pell, who had
some months before promised o ask me
to his mothers residence near Boston.
Now my grandmother was rich woman
who had been a beauty, and was very
much of the opinion that she would
always remain one. She had plenty of
company, and her house was very pleas
ant indeed, and knew that Mrs. Pell,
though an excellent woman, was very
formal, and seldom opened the cold,
best parlOr, where the piano was kept
lin solitary confinement, except for a
prayer-meeting.
If my grandmother invited me, I
should excuse myself to Charlie and go
to her, and fiirt with the girls and play
whist, and enjoy myself generally; but
II she cheated me, as she sometimes
did, why then I'd accept the Pells' in
vitatlon. Charlie was a pleasant fell
low, and was a very little in love with
his sister, who would surely be home
from boarding school. These were my
plans, but as time passed on and
brought no letter from either of the
parties whom had supposed to be my
expectant hosts, my spirits sank, and I
| looked forward drearIly to the hottest
room in a cheap country boarding
house, or the alternative of staying at
home at Mrs. Ferguson's and hearing
how all the absent boarders were enjoy
ing themselves at the sea side.
Just as 1 had quite begun to despair,
| however-indeed it was the twenty
| eighth of July-the earliest post brought
me two letters, one pale blue envel-
| ope, on which 1 recognized my grand
mothers fine running hand the other a
white, business looking affair, bearing
! Charlie Pell's wild scrawl.
Two invitation at once. I chuckled
with delight, and having hurried up to
my own hall bedroom quite forgetful OF
| my breakfast, tore open the blue en-
velope, out of which tumbled some
| thing crisp and green, which, on exami-
nation, proved TO be a banknote for
one hundred dollars, and which aston
ished me very much, for my grand
mother had never made me any pres
ents of more value than fiat pincush-
ion and pen-wiper at Christmas time,
and read these mysterious words
DEAR RIoHMoND-I know you expect an in
vitation, and meant to ask you but circum-
stances have occurred that prevent me from
having the pleasure. / am more your friend
than ever, but fear can never ask you to
visit me again. II I donot you must only lose
my poor company for / shall send you what
you find enclosed every month, and will always
be, Yours devotedly.
@. RICHMOND.
2. s. will explain in my next.
"Singularl' 1 said. And quite I'M
able to suggest a reason for my grand
mothers singular conduct, L pocketed
her present and opened the other note.
It was equally mysterious
DEAR RIcH-You promised to como to me
! for the vacation, and you must, but not to
| mothers house. 1 am at -, at the hotel
there, and have arranged matters so that we
be very much surprised by something which
Yours ever, CHARLES PELL.
"No use trying to solve this problem
either" 1 said to myself. "WeIl, I'll
| go to Charlie. He seems to want me.
The hotel will be jolIier than the old
| homestead.
And then went down stairs to break
fast, and ate cold hash and drank fiat
coffee without complaint. There were
| but three days more of it, and then came
a month of lounging, smoking and en-
| joyment. At least was young ensugh
to hope so.
It was night when I left the train,
and, portmanteau in hand, entered
-. just at the depot stood light
carriage.
"Rich, old fellow" cried a voice,
| and hurried forward to grasp Charlie
Pells hand.
"Tm so glad to see you, said he,
"and I've so much to tell you-iump
in. Let me take your traps. Now
shake hands again and congratulate me
Pm married"
married - I almost shouted. ''Why
bless your heart, Charlie, accept my
very warmest congratulations And
how did it come about? And what does
your mamma think about it, and
and"
"My dear Rich" said Charley,
"there's the unhappy part of the story |:
done the most dreadful things. think
they wanted me to live and die an old
bachelor but at one-and-twenty, my
dear fellow, a man must think of set
thing, You know, and it's absurd for
them to be so implacable. Aud my
lady is, perhaps, year or two older
than I am and very lively-a gay young
widow, you know-and that they find
fault with.
"'Don't bring her to my house, says
mammR-indeed she did but you-you,
I know. have sympathy with me. You
comprehend that could not forget one
1 adored, because an old lady and lit
tie girl told me to do so. You'll under
stand that no one in my place could,
when you are introduced to Lofty. l
met her while on business trip for the
house. but here we are. We SUP
in our own little parlor. Lofty has
quite fortune, you know, and lives in
style at home. I shall manage the
| place for her hereafter. The waiter will
| show you to your own room, and to
our parlor when you are ready for our
society. Number twenty-four, John"
And away he flew, while L fastened
to number twenty-foUr, made a careful
toilet, and hastened down stairs. con-
ming pretty speech which I intended
to make to my friends bride. When
knocked at the door heard a suspicious
tiutter, and doubted not that some of
the hill g and cooling necessary to the
situation had been going on, but
| Charles opened the door for me and
lace sitting near the window. Being
very near-sighted saw no more, except
that she had fan in her hand, and was
trifiing with it.
Come in, Richmond" said Charlie.
My dear Lottie, this is my old friend
Richmond Walters. My wife, Rich.
1 advanced. The lady arose. She
was stout and blonde. saw her face.
She saw mine. For one moment we
stood perfectly silent then she put ont
her hand and took it. Neither of us
said a word, but if my face flushed as
redly as hers did-and I think it did
it is no wonder that Charles Pell stared
at us.
"What would she do?" I asked
myself. "Women are quicker than
mem" She did nothing; she merely
gave me an icy bow and turned away
her head, and I, dropping her hand, re-
tired TO the other window, while |
Charles stood between MS looking suspi- |
ciously at me, and growing very pale.
afYOu hava mat Mrs Pail haf,ra /