The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1877-05-24

touched something hard, that rolled from
them, down the folds of shining silk, anC
across the floor.
"What could it be-" Mrs. Cochran
asked, looking up from her work. Blu
Daisy, all excitement, had thrown aside
the dress, and was STOPPING to pick uI
the glitteTing treasure her scissors had re
leased from long imprisonment.
"Oh, mOther!' she cried, quite forget
ting the new bOarder, cit is Miss Patti
sons ring!"
"WhOse Ting?''
Not her mothers voice asking this, bu
a mans voice, harsh and loud.
'WhOse ring did you say?'' he repeat
ed, as Daisy only looked surprised anC
did not answer.
GA friends" Daisy answered at last.
Miss Pattison! You said Miss Patti
son! And you found it in the opal sill
! dress! Tell me, has the ring large pear
| In it, encircled by diamonds, and letter
| ing inside-W. NJ. to E. 2. 20
Yes!'' Daisy said, wonderingly, after
examining the ring.
/ ''Walter" - said Daisy-''yes, his name
was Walter!
''She told you sOmething-yOurf friend
Miss PattisOn! You wonder at me-
''Dear child, - and the voice of the grey,
haired man was low and tender, 81 am
| Walter Martyr, and that ring was my
! betrOthal ring, twenty years agO!'
1t was strange to see him, the grave,
elderly man, trembling and flushed, his
hand resting on the opal silk, his eyes fix
ed on the ring.
Twenty years agor' he repeated. 81
married, was widowed, travelled abroad,
went everywhere, and had my share of
happiness and sorrow, made a fortune,
and came home at last, only yesterday, to
nd L., IL l..
find Ella Miss PattiSOn still, and her ring
lost Is the folds Of the opal silk she wore
when last saw her. Who will say it
was not fatality that led me here, to this
house, this room? Miss Daisy, will you
tell me what Ella, Miss Pattison, told
you, that you knew her lost ring so quick
iyn'
And little Daisy, her heart tluttering
over the strange romance of middle age,
repeated the story she had heard. Mr..
Martyr listened with his head resting
upon his hands, shaded from the bright
light. When the story was finished, he
looked up.
''Thank you,'' he said, gently; ''will
you give me Miss PattisOn's address-and
the ring?"
Very promptly Daisy granted both re-
as she added:
"And don't wear opal silk"
Il am not so silly as all that, " She said,
to Mrs. Cochran, when the new board
left the room.
81 am not afraid John will quarrel
with me for nothing, because my dress is
an opal silk
She was still working busily upon the
work of altering the dress, when the new
boarder came in again, and put parcel
and tiny note before her wondering
eyes. She looked into his face, wonder
ing at the change there, the soft light in
the sad eyes, the smile upon the grave
lips.
''She has forgiven me, little Daisy he
said, very tenderly, and left her again.
"Open your note, dear" Mrs. Cochran
said, and Daisy, Obeying, read the lines
written there by a hand trembling with
happiness:
"DEAR-DEAR DAISY:
''YOu have sent me my life's happi-
ness, and the opal silk has changed TWEEN
ty years of pain to deepest joy. But Wal
ter says you are not to wear it, and so we
have chosen together the turquoise silk
i'm the parcel, for blue brings happiness.
You will accept the dress, dear, wilt you
not, from your loving friends,
''WALTER AND ELLA?o
ooh, how lovely" Daisy cried, shak
ing ont the folds of her silk; els she not
kind, mOtheT?'
Aud very lovely Daisy looked, when, !
with demure courtesy, she said to John
''Please admire my-dress, sir, pres
ant from our new bOarder, Mrs. Mar !
ryn."
"H'm! very fine. \ new boardeI, ell 20 |
eyes, but an old friend, Miss Patti |
son.
''That little old maid! Married -
yes" and then the old love story |
was told, with comments from the actors |
in the new love story, and never-never, |
was the sage conclusion arrived at, would |
John and Daisy allow cruel misunder- /
to separate them for twenty |
long years.
And, ut last accounts, they never had.