The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1875-03-05
MISS ERIsM,s CopICIL.


Miss Rebecca Erism, a valetudina-
Ran of sixty, lay dying at her house in
town. She had held SO tenacious a
grip upon life that it was difficult for
the two young people to realize the end
was so near. These two young people
were Gerald Erism, her nephew, and
Miss Iuane Williams, her companion
and nurse.
Gerald had seen the young woman
every day for the three years she had
lived with his aunt, but never until this
moment had bestowed serious thought
upon her. He did not even know the
color of her eyes till his aunt gasped
out a sentence that caused him to look
at her attentively. Then he found
them shining LUMINOSITY in the somber
gloom of the sick chamber, and some
thing therein forbade him to hate her,
although the sentence his aunt had
uttered was to the effect that she had
left Miss Williams all her money.
- Ii you expect to pay for that horse
for Emily Thorpe to ride with the
money you get by my death, -" said the
lyon don't understand" began
Gerald.
lit was an Infamous transaction, -
said the old lady, "and what I call a
postobit found out enough about it
to make me put a codicil to my will.
That rascally horse dealer'u lose his
money after all, and Emily Thorpe shall
Haunt none of her finery at my expense.
I've left my money to Luane Williams!'
1t was then that Gerald looked at
Luane but his aunt suddenly stretched
out her hands to him pleadingly, and
finding q gray pallor spreading over
her face, he knelt down by her bedside
and took her cold withered hand in his
own.
IF the horse had been for any one
but that Emily Thorpe " faltered the
poor old lady.
Ion, aunt, said Gerald, eff you'd
let me explain
81 would if I had time" she said (;
"but must die now"
In ten minutes it was all over, and
Gerald went out of the house with a
great ache at his heart. He was very
sorry for his aunt; she had been very kind
to him-too kind, for she had reared him
for the useless Life of a dEOne, when
now it appeared he must work for a
living like all the rest of the bees. 1t
had hitherto been something of bore
TO him merely to spend money, and tho
his mind that to ezra it must be in
finitely more Wearisome,
Walking aimlessly on his, feet took
mechanically familiar direction, and
he found himself pausing before fine
house In a fashionable quarter Of the
city, from which shambled a somewhat
bent and awkward figure that presently
disappeared in a brougham before the
door.
Gerald recognized the man as Mr..
Badger the millionaire, aad involun-
tarily consrasted his condition with that
of the fortunate soap dealer. he was,
however, 50 absorbed with the direfuI
news he had GO tell Emily that before
she came into the parlor he had forgot
ten Badgers existence.
1t was singular that her remarkable
beauty and brilliant toilet did not APP
pail Gerald at that moment that the
fact of his no longer being able to grace
that lovely hand with BETTING gems
did not prevent him from Selling 1t in
both his own, and kissing it rapturous-
". But for an enchanting moment he
was allowed TO forget the gloomy cham
her where his aunt lay dead, and the
woman who waited there for the money
Inc had been taught to consider his own.
1t seems to me that you are very
beautiful this morning, was all that
he could say.
Emily drew her baud gently away
from his caress.
Gerald, she said, q have some
thing to tell you