The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1877-09-20
AFTER DARK.

Was representation OF charming ola age
that might have made poets celebrate il
instead of youth. Her brown eyes were
still as soft and large, if not as bright, as
ever; and although the rings of her hair
round her smooth brow were silvery
white, her brows and lashes were vet
dark But it was none of that, nor the
soft skin with the delicate rosy bloom
that sometimes diffused it, that made
the charm of the face; it was the soulful
expression there, and the smile sweettr
than any young girl knows how to smile
"a smile full of innocence and love.
Her life had not been very happy one,
we used to fancy, she having had some
serious cross in her youth, and afterward
marrying a man whom she did not very
tenderly love, because he loved her, and
who ended by abusing her. She had
been now for several years a widow with
out children, spending her considerable
fortune in kindness, and making all the
young people in the region her stauEch
adherents.
She lived at The Cedars, and some one
or the other of US was always with her,
and it would be hard to say where a
pleasanter life could be lived than all
day long in Mrs. Dalrymple's gardens or
behind her horses, and all the evenings,
with the breath of roses and honey
suckles about the windows, in her
delightful drawing-rooms, listening to
her old contes" or to the talk of by-gone
days in which her contemporaries in
dulged when they became her guests.
Among these guests occasionally was
Mr.. Stephen, an elderly person who had
come into the neighborhOod some years
before, and who lived ON the next place,
where only hedge divided the lands-a
strange, sad, silent old man, concerning
whom, as nobody knew anything, every
body conjectured everything. Some
said he was an Englishman, some that he
was a New Zealander, it was generally
conceded that he had suffered great
calamity; and here and there even it
was declared that in distant state he
had been imprisoned under a life SEN
tence, but pardoned out for quiet
behavior after fifty years, taking then
the property which it was in his power
10 take, and coming here. Peaceful and
gentle as he was, ivirg among his birds
and flowers, giving freely to whomsoever
asked, he was generally avoided, and, as
he sought no one, his life was solitary.
He had had occasion to look for lost
pet on Mrs. Dalrymple's grounds, which
had led to an acq uaintance that he so lit
tie followed up that sometimes she
herself would take one of us and 90 over
into his garden, and often she would tap
on the long window, and saying, gayly;
Privilege of an old woman insist on
bringing him home to dinner.
She had done so to-day for we had
surprised her-five homeless girls whom
she had at last made permanently at
home with herself-in an unwonted
shower of tears in the morning, tears
that continued with more or less force all
day. 4" must have something now to
brighten me-" said she. Let us go and
get Mr.. Stephen. We will have an
Omelette roum. There was Omelette
roum on the table fifty-three years ago,
remember now. 1t is one OF my
anniversary days, to-day, my dears."
Hinc ill8 lacrimB," said we, wipiDg
the dear lady's face and trying to make
her smile. Somehow we always felt as
if she were our own age.
" Yes, it is one of my anniversary days,
to-day" said she again, after dinner, as
we all sat in the drawing-rOom about her,
Mr.. Stephen not far away in his arm
chair. at is so long ago that it often
seems to have been something [ once
read of rather than once lived and felt
and sufered-O yes, suffered / fancy
that bright young girl with her lovers is
in a romance. can think of it all with
out suffering now; yet, just for the pity
of it, Just as you cry over novel, you
know, l could not help shedding a few
tears to-day"
Twas it so very sad, them" one OF
us ventured.
rAh! very. And we were all so
young. : will tell you about it; |
always said ! would. l do not mind
speaking of it now; it is all as if L were
speaking of some one else: They were
three brothers," she said, after a mo-
ment. and they were all my lovers, as l
said but sometimes / have doubted II
he loved me as he loved those brothers of
his. halt A dozen years their senior. He
had been father and mother to them, and
he c0mpassed heaven and earth for their
wishes All, well, we'll! so noble be-
ing never lived before. Greater love
hath no man'-hath no man." She
naused a moment again, her voice trem-
HING ,'How strange" she resumed,
nresentlv that / should be telling this
so calmly! Oh, it was storm--lt was
storm, p5 and her old hands clasped and
uncIasped nervously. What dark rand
dreadful time of horror, and now so
TRANQUIL! But / will tell you You al
WAYS do seem so like my own children
MIGHT have been-all but MIR. stephen,
mean" she said, with quick laugh that
restored her to herself One day we
,,,ora in q boat together, alone upon the
I;t,Ie r:ver. How / remember it all =
tbe Green boughs meeting overhead, the
srea9 shadows underneath, the sunlight
sitting through, and his face, his proud,
nae passionate face, as he said some
Iin,DIa words that let me know, not that
he loved me. not that he wished to know
if loved him--as if that had always
Leen understood--but that he expected
me soon to be his wife. loved him.
oh how 7 loved him % said the old lady,
claspinp and unclasping her hands again.
HRut some evil spirit seized me. was
a coouette: l answered him lightly.
How did he know l said, but that /
was already plighted to KalphT We
had hung close to the shore, beneath the
great boughs, and looking up as spoke,
i saw Mark, the second brother, sitting
in the boughs---oh, so strange his face
looked then! I beckoned him mischiev-
ousIv. and in a moment he bad parted
ali the leaves and sprays, and was threat
ening to spring and swamp the little
boat if we did not let him in. That
NIGHT. at the home of the three brothers,
there was a fearful contest--I the cause.
All this soft, sweet summer night who
could believe il and could ever have
believed I should sit here calmly and
fell of it to those who were not born
They had grappled; Ralph was killed !;
his eldest brother was found red-handed.
When Mark came home from his ramble,
the officers were carrying that brother to
prison. He never opened his lips con-
corning it from that day." said Mrs,
Dalrvmple, with a sob in her voice. He
employed no lawyer, although the court
appointed one; he refused to plead
entity or not guilty. I will hurry. He
S-'g A.,aad 60 daotI . I =. go, -, % mo-,