The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1878-03-07

| grand question itself. With an artless
girl ike Mary Jane it was best to ap-
proach such subject by degrees.
"'Twas just such night as this, l
said, softly, "when you and l, Mary
Jane, trod the grassy turf beside that
murmuring brook"
ooh, I rememberl" she exclaimed,
laughing in her guileless way. know
! what you are going to ssy. That was
the time you fell over the stile, running
away from the bull. And your nose was
| done up in sticking plaster, you know; and
you scratched my face with 1t, sir y
I had forgotten that circumstance ;
but what did it matterP
-" Yes, Mary Jane" said, passionately.
And why did my nose scratch your
face? Because my lips were seeking that
paradise which now"
Good evening, Miss Bowles.'
It was johnson. l saw his grin in the
moonlight, and-confusion--he had
brought his umbrella.
There was little dancing at Twig s,
but I had no pleasure in it. Ny mind
was full of Johnson's umbrella. It came
before nv diseased vision like Macbeth 8
dagger. I clutched at it, and had it
not.
Time wore on. / stood at the window
alone, and looked out at the weather.
Heavy clouds obscured the moon. Heavy
drops began to fall. Then the tempta-
tiOn had me in its grip.
His umbrella" gssped. "I-1ll
hide it."
It's going to be nasty night, after
ALL" said hated voice at nv elbow.
81 believe only you and have brought
umbrellas. There'lI be an awful scrim-
mage for cabs. Luckily we haven't far
to walk"
He was grinning more than ever, but
he could rot have heard me. A cab
would not suit him, OF couTsel He
wanted to walk home with Mary Jane
slowly-very slowly, SO that-trenzy J
1 would do the deed. would throw his
umbreAa-
"Oh, Sam, do take me down 10 re-
freshments! l asked Mr.. johnson, but
he has forgotten me-"
She looked up into my face so bewitch-
iDgly that my heart thumped SIS if it
were a dOor-knocker in the grasp of a
demon postman. Tie knew she WAS
thirsting for claret cup, ard yet he left
her. Her. Careless brute What a
husband he would make! Whereas. in
ms-in me-she would find
MARY Jane" I whispered, as we left
the giddy crowd that stood around the
liquids, Mary Jane. may l see you
homer
"If you are good boy perhaps you
may. But here's Mr.. johnson, and
owe him a dance"
He took her awsy, but she looked
back at me with a smile. l really never
saw such an artless girl in my life.
And now, to make assurance doubly
sure, I crept up stairs to the room where
the umbrellas had been left. The gas
was out and the window open. The
melancholy voices of divers cats seemed
to protest against the crime, but my
nerves were firm. could see nothing.
| No matter. I knew where my enemy
had put his umbrella. 1 grooped for it.
l grasped it by the ferruled end. Just
| then fOotstep startled me. flushed to
the window and dropped the hateful
thing into the black abyss below. There
was splash. l felt saTdOnic JOY. He
had brought his umbrella for fear of
rain. Well, it might do its duty in the
waterbutt.
listened. All was quiet. The next
room WAS in darkness. There could be
no one there. | went down to the re-
freshment-room, drank a glass of wine,
chatted q while with Mrs. Twig. and re-
covered my self possession. Then
sought Mary Jane. johnson had just
crossed the room to her when / entered.
Suddenly she was seized with violent
fit of coughing. / ran for glass of water.
When | returned the coughing became
worse than ever. Yet that Unteeiing
monster, johnson, grinned till I thought
| the corners of his mouth would meet in
the nape of his neck.
When I asked il she felt better, Mary
Jane went off again and presently the
cough was so bad that she had to leave
the room / remarked to johnson that
she must have caught cold and then he
coughed. No doubt she had been out
on the balcony with him to see whether
! the rain had ceased. But wait a little,
my grinning friend
Everybody was now going away.
| With fendish delight / saw johnson
walk upstairs to get his hat and coat
| and his - Ha ha / waited till he
came down. He was perfectly cool, and
did my eyes mock me-he had in his
hand an umbrellai / could not see the
handle, but OF course it was mine. The
! fellows impudence staggered me. tore
| up into the room above. There was no
umbrella there. 1t s0as mine
! I went down, resolved to MAKE an ex-
| ample of johnson. He stood in the hall,
leisurely putting on his gloves.
"Excuse me-" l said calmly, but
you have got my umbrella"
" 1 think not" he replied with his
everlasting grinl
" But you have, sir. There can be nc
mistake about it. Pray is your um
brella-bandle an a!ljgator's head in Germ
in solid siIver2'
Il think not" said johnson, coolly,
He held up the umbrella.
It was not mine!
81 am not quite ready, Sam. What's
the matter7 Oh, dear And Mrs
Twig SAYS she has lent every umbrella
she has. Are you sure you brought it
Oh. thank YOU, Mr.. johnson Good
night, Sam Mr.. johnson will see me
home. It isn't raining much, and you
won't get wet if you run all the way"
I don't know whether got wet er not.
. For that matter, I don't know how Igel
I home. [ believe the Twigs thought
had been drinking too much. Perhaps
| had, or how could / have thrown tbE
wrong umbrella out of the window. i
was found some weeks later, and, wheI
! it was brought to me in pulpY condition
by young Twig, who is the smallest o
wags, he suggested that should adopt 1
water. butt and umbrella as a crest
Johnson did propose to the little
Bowles" during that walk home. They
are married now. That umbrella bust
ness remained mystery, but l am still
convinced of the artlessness of Mary Jane