The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-03-18

seeing how iutimats she was with De
Vaux, it wasn't to be wondered at that
they gossipped over the matter.
It isn't very pleasant feeling, i'm
agine, to beia Ralph's place-to hear
your friends discussing the doings of
your promised wife, and wondering
what YOU are going to do about it.
Ralph bore itias long as he could. He
went to Sc Belle one day, determined
to come TO some sort of an understand
ing. He. met Capt. De Vaux as he
went in. That gentleman smiled inso-
lenily on his rival Ralph wanted to
give him a good horse whipping. 1t
would have served as an escape-valve
for some of his ugly feelings if he could
have done so.
cob, you ought to have come be-
fore" cried Belle, with effusion; Capt
De Vaax has been singing duets with
me. Such q be aHtiful tenor voice rs
he has You never heard him sing
did you n -
81 haven't had the pleasure, answer
ed Ralph, dryly.
"Come up tomorrow evening"" said
Belle. 'f He's coming over to practice
with me again. You'd just enjoy listen
ing to him. / never heard anyone sing
Insnita' so exquisitely as he does
never He throws so much passion
into it. l was really charmed, L assure
you" L
.'No doubt Of It, F" said Ralph.
"And you'd enjoy his company so
much,R ratified on Belle, thinking, I
suppose, that she was doing something
remarkably brilliant. g / do. He's 50
witty he keeps me laughing half the
1nrfk HhTv,Ir n II
gentleman's society so much before"
= Probably not, " retorted Ralph. He
was beginning to get thoroughly dis
gusted He had thought Belle much
more womaDly than she was. He had
deceived himself. Nov his eyes were
beginning 10 get opened.
and his" began Belle but Ralph
stopped her.
We win take all you are going to
ay for granted" he said. 81 have
come TO talk soberly with you, Belle.
1 have borne your conduct long enough.
If you are to be my wife, your hirta-
tiOns with DE Vaux must term mate at
once, have a right to ask tkat of
you.
REALLY !" Belle smiled scornfully,
$50 you are going TO dictate, are von?"
mot at all, answered Ralph. 'rYou
must act as you please. 1 am merely
telling yon how thes matter stands.
You are engaged to me. As my prom
ised wife you have no right to act as
you are doing. You can but acknowl-
edge that, If you will stop long enough
to think. If l we're to go on as you
have been going on, imagine you
would be quite sure to see the matter
ia its true light. have as good q
right to demand yon to stop such con-
duct as you would have to demand the
same of me. think you have been
thoughtless, and am willing to let all
i'll feeling drop provided you do as ask
you to" ---.
''Apd if I do not ?" demanded Belle,
haughtily.
"Then you may consider that all is
over between us, Ralph replied.
Every well, answered Belle; "here
is your ring, and-good-morning."
Ralph took the ring and bowed him
self ont, feeling quite as much relieved
as disappointed. He saw that she was
not the woman he wanted. She could
never make hin happy. He had had a
lucky escape.
Belle watched him go with very angry
eyes. He had told her the truth and
| she had acknowledged it. But she
wasn't going to give up in that way.
She had too much, spirit" she told
herself. Too much foolish, silly obsti-
macy would have hit It, "He1I come
around in time, " she said. "He1l get
over this when De Vaux goes away.
| Pm not going to be tied up to any man
| before I'm married. I'll let him know
that he can't bend me around his little
| finger"
The summer went by. r lph didn't
"come around" as Belle had expecte
he would. He met her in society and
never showed any signs of the wound
| she was foolish enough to think she had
| given him. He seemed to enjoy life
| quite the same as ever. She concluded
/ he was wearing q mask" People with
wouuSed hears usually die in novels,
Belle recollected.
Capt. De Vaux went away, and then
! Belle was confident that Ralph would
return to his allegiance, but he didn't
seem inclined.
"He's waiting for me to give him
rome encouragement, most likely,
Belle thought, and she straightway
/ proceeded to encourage him by making,
or trying to make, herself very fasciuat
ing and Agreeable But Ralph wouldnt
be fascinated. He repealed all her ad.
vances, coldly and politely.
! "He's obstinate declared Belle. "Ill
have TO ask him to forgive me, and then
-" She cOnfideltly expected that that
would bring him to terms.
| One evening, at a party, she tried hel
! plan. They were in the conservatory.
She was looking pale and interesting
At least abe thought so. Ralph didn't
seem TO think much about it.
I've been wanting to say something
to yo1 for long time" she said, put
ting her handkerchief to her eyes, 4"
see now how thoughtless-"s she couldn't
bear to say how foolish and silly
chow thouQhtless was, and Pm sorry
that | wounded your feelings SO, Ralph.
If you could forgive me and be my
friend still if nothing more"
She believed that would fetch him.
At lelst it usually did in romances.
I'm perfectly willing to be your
friend, if you want me-" answered
Ralph, feeling a desire to laugh. He
understood her perfectly. He only won
dered how he could have been foolish
enough to fancy her
81 do want you to-" said Belle,
hrokenly: eff you only knew how
many UNITS Il nave EtRE6bttQ my
thoughtless conduct, Ralph"-with a
sorrowful sigh and a glance out OF the
corner of her eye to see if he was about
20 cspitulate. Give missed your
ring from my finger, Ralph, so much. "
''Ah ?" Ralph had to smile at that
stroke of Bellies. sit never fitted you
exactly if you have noticed. it fits
Allie BraytOn's finger beautifully"
"Belle turned pale. She understood
what Ralph meant he had been with
Miss Braytou good deal lately but che
hadn't supposed that he Thought of
marrying her.
"You don't mean to say" she
stammered.
"Phat am engaged to Miss Bray
ton? Yes, 1 do" answered Ralph. 81
shall be pleased 60 see you and Capt
De Vaux at the wedding, which takes
place on Christmas.
Belle burst into tears. She was never
so vexed ana angry before. The affair
hadn't turned out at all as such affairs
always did in novels. She was mad and
disgnsted and mortified
You're n wretch I" she so6bed.
"Noa wouldn't care If You broke nv