The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1877-06-07


jewelied tan ct the audaciOus gallant.
Your admiration is a tTihe too noisv
to be sincere, Captain Walton" she said :
"hOwever, we will accept it as the
genuine article. But remember the
conditions, gentlemen--untO the man
who will restore to me my diamond
crescent" will l give my hand and heart,
and all my earthly possessions; other
wise, ] shall go down to my grave in
single blessedness. But my duties as
hostess summon me away. Au reroirp'
Waving her hand she passed on, leav-
ing the two young men gazing after her
in rapt and breathless admiration.
"What a splendid creature !" muir
INJURED Walton " she reminds me of a
beautiful desert steed, with her flashing
eyes and naughty fearlessness But,
after ali, a less perfect woman would
make more comfortable wife don't YOU
think so. BelmOre %
But his friend made no answer; he
stood like one bewildered, a burning
crimson mantlIng his swarthy cheek, and
an eXUltant light in his eyes that was
almost dazzling. But Walton failed to
notice this unusual excitement, for lust
at this mSment a light touch on his
sleeve called his attention in another
direction. He turned to look down upon
the freshest of faces framed in blonde
curls, and to hear his name called in the
sweetest of tones Imaginable.
Why, Miss Katie!" he cried, with a
start of genuine pleasure. q thsught
you were in LOnden. What an unex-
Pected pleasure to meet you here!''
81 was in town, replied Katie,
smiling and blushing; "but I cOaxed
papa to bring me down in time for Julia's
party. | could not bear to miss it, she
always gets up such exquisite affairs.
Isn't she looking superb after her pro-
longed tour ?''
'FNot a whit better than another lady
of your acquaintance, said Capt. Wal
ton, smiling down upon her with the
familiarity of an old friend, "though she
is very magnificent. | have Just been
presenting her to my friend Mr.. BelmOre,
and / believe her charms have dazed him.
Look at him. He hasn't winked his
eyes for fifteen minutes. BelmOre,
come, wake up, man, and let me present
you to my friend, Miss Katie SOmers,
whom you have heard me speak of 50
often"
Mr.. Belmore turned, and smiled down
with the kindness and gallantry of a
gentleman, upon the little figure beside
him; and then his eyes wandered to a
distant part of the room, where the
heiress stood surrounded by her friends.
What could she have signiied," he
said, half addressing his friend, and half
cOmmuning with himself, "abOut the
diamond crescent? She must have lost
it 2"
Pm sorry / can't enlighten you, re-
piled Capt. Walton. - l know she used
70 hoy-c E11oI no Won INV
thing about it, Miss Katie ?
Katie laughed, and blushed to her very
inger-tips.
a should think did," she answered {;
q she lost it when we were down in the
south of England, | lost my beautiful
topaz, but / won't tell you how, you are
sucn a tease, Captain Walton. But
Julia has almost broken her heart about
that queer old crescent; and she declares
she will marry any man who will restore
it to her"
"Do YOU hear that, BelmOre? ? Do
you think, my fine fellow, you will be
able TO comply with her conditions"
g think l shall, y nc replied. his firm,
bearded lips quivering like a wOman's.
/" But do you think she would really
keep her promise, Miss Somers, indie
pendent of any preference her heart
might feel
q think she would never break her
word but there is not the least hope
that the crescent will ever be found, and
JuIia's conditions as she terms it, are
merely a subterfuge to conceal her deter
minatiOn never to marry. | don't
know that ought to be speaking of my
friends affairs, but her sUitOrs are num-
berless, and not one finds ;avOr in her
sight. When the AlbatrOss was burned
three years ago, her cousin was lost, and
she will never love any other man."
Mr.. Belmore turned sharply, without
a word, and walked away.
d" Now, see what you We done" laughed
Walton; d" the man will go out and hang
himself"
Little tender-hearted Katie SOmers
looked after him uneasily.
"Oh, dear, how sorry | am ! said it, :"
she cried but ne may a. well know it
now, for Julia will let him hear it soon
enough. Poor fellow ="