The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1878-08-01

His eye had caught the crested card set
against the pin-cushiOn. He approached
and read it without lifting it, recognize
ing his own handwriting. " All" he
sighed, al remember the day gave that
to Dolly, more than year ago-yes, tor
it was at Christmas time, and now it is
February. l slipped it into her hand as
she passed through the hall, at the Da~
mois breakfast, with that detestable
Eustace Hurj. 1 saw her blush quickly
before she took it. How well she knew
had something for her believe Dolly
and | could make each other understand
anything without a word or whisper.
Aword to the wise they say, is suffi>
CENT a look is enough to the loving.
And what eyes she has Well, l must
learn to forget them But not to night
not tonight, Dolly"
He took up the card and mechanically
turned it over IN. b." and a few
lines of handwriting. He paused st
IN. B." Her writing and my initials,
as she names ne-Ned, Ned Berton. 1t
must be for me. She knows that am
here, What else, then, could the card,
my card, be here fOr2 IN. B. to any
other eyes, and in case of accident, sim
ply nota bene but to me, ali. will note
we'll, my ANGEL N. B.'-Ask mamma
tonight, aud if she says no ask papa
and if BE says no, make HIM say yes.
Tonight, without delay. February TO-"
"'February 10;' that is tomorrow.
ASK mamma Oh, Dolly, can you
mean 1t? Your command is law; but
Mrs. DerWent will say no. That is q
foregOne conclusion, since ! have no
prospects, no immediate prospects at
least, and here is Eustace Hurd worth
halt a million. There is no hope for me
there. Then ask papa; and if he says
no, make him cay yes Can l make
him? What shall l do to make him
What arguments can 1 bring to bear
upon this intelligent, kindly, but thor
Ough man of the world, in this age of
high living, when sentiment rates at so
little and money rates as so much, to
show myself, q young lawyer with an
income of barely So 900 year, a just
rival, in claim for the hand of Dolly
DeTWent, of Eustace Hurd, worth half
a million! What argument, how shall
express myself to reach his heart, for
suppose that under all his jovial worlds
ness he has a heart. LIST me think"
And he thought, Alone there in
DOlIv's room, with the light lowered to
q spark, sitting in the arm chair, with
his head leaning upon his hand and his
eyes dOwncast, he thought. The wind
that had arisen with sunset died down :;
its wild sObbing across the hills and in
the tree tops ceased rain fell, then
sharp, fine sleet beat against the window
panes that, too, ceased. The little pCr-
celain clock upon the mantle Ltruck
half-past 4, and still Ned Berton thought.
At last dim daylight glinmered on the
walls, and then, wearied TO the soul, he
flung himself upon the sofa and fell
asleep.
Some one awoke him late. He was
the last one at the breakfast table, and
sleighs eight dashiDg little cutters,
with "just room for too "-were at the
door. The eight had been procured with
some little difficulty; but this Ned Bur
ton was not to know; pOliteness would
not inform him that he was the odd one
of the party, the seventeenth, who had
not been provided for, having been in
vited by Mr.. Derwent on the suppOsitiOn
" of course Ned was included "a sup
position which Mr.. DerWent found en-
pbatically, afterward, had not been
founded upon fact.
Mrs. Derwent, however, not to be re-
barrassing blunder, and, in spite of her
plan that only the young people, seven
couples, should enjoy the sIeighing, and
in spite OF her antIpathy to that diver
sion and her uncomfortable fear of
horses, which even the sober grays other
park phaeton could not render calm
heroically ordered the cutter.
She came and rested her plump little
ieweled hand with matronIy ease upon
Ned's shoulder, as at the now deserted
breakfast table he bent over his pate in
al stracted mood, trying to swallow his
hot roll and coffee, and said, genially
& So, Ned, l am to go with you. But
only on one cOndition-that you will
promise not to run away with me-"
Ned withdrew himself from his SOULS
pre-OccupatiOn just sufficiently to jerk
down a last mouthful and say, with
rather confused gallantry, az cannot
promise for myself, Mrs. DerBent; but I
will promise that no unappreciative ami
mai, no unframed fiery steed,' shall run
away with you.
"Then, come" said she, gaily, " for
they are all going or gone. Why, Ned,
you have eaten nothing. Won't you
have another cup of coffee? No Well,
we shall lunch sumptuously at the Blue
Globe they have been two weeks pre-
pairing for US. That will be dejeuner for
you. Where is Dolly?"
All, Dolly There she stood on the
doorstep by the side of Eustace Hurd,
wrapped tight ia her cloak, ready for de-
parture, and her sweet, warm face-not
hooded deeply enough to hide its golden
hslo-~turned wistfully backward.
Goodbye, mamnaa," she cried and
then she saw Ned, and the sweet face
changed-turned pale for an instant.
Ned thought if such thing could hap
pen that a rosebud should turn pale.
She gave him Just look, scarcely a smile.
He felt his hearts wild beating answer
her appealing look.
Such morning as that morning was :
one of those miracles of mornings
when the white mantle of the snow
makes the world like new born planet
when nature shows herself in all her
artistic renderings a sculptor more than
a painter, exclaiming for the moment,
like the passionate angel Of the palette,
9 Form is everything; the outline is the
picture" The sleet had polished the
snow, and the scene was not only nodded
against the horizon in bold and chiseled
contour, but every detail OF foreground,
every stone and fence and lesfless bush,
and every aisle of perspective, every
farmhouse and grove and over branching
forest, was IS it cut in crystal or in mar
bic, decisive and pure and del catelY
hewn in matchless marvel OF curve and
tracery. A white new world.
To Ned Berton, with one thought in
heart and brain and imagination, this
wealth of beauty was as naught- And
Mrs. Derwent certainly had no express
sion of admiration on her countenance
as she said, spasmodically
This is really" with an alarmed
glance at the horses ears, "the best
isn't it. Ned ?"-with terrified gasp as
the sleigh lurched and darted forward
sleighing that we"-and an impetuous
n