The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1879-11-13
ly Stunned and shrank from it ap-

/
sweet and desirable.
Perhaps it is detrimental to my he
roine to say that she would have been
quite content to have lived upon .the
fruits of her own fancy for the remain
der of her natural life. Had circum-
stances compelled her to change her
abode, and had she thus lost sight of
1 Doctor Blake, the dreams would have
gone along just the same, the fact of his
dying in neighboring hospital of weak
ness and want, and the quenching of all
her material in a pauper's grave not in
terfering in the least with Miss Turpin s
airy fabric. 1t would have been impOs-
sible to convince Miss Turpin that he
could reach so dire an extremity, had
not the knowledge been forced in upon
her in r way that she could not refuse.
She absolutely heard the gruff voice
of Mr.. Shadrach upon the morning in
| question, and the low, musical, but Bit
terly mocking words of the Doctor in
reply.
She sat down upon the rug, and
clasped both her hands. He was going
away then Until that moment she had
not realized the extent of such disaster.
She could, have borne, perhaps, to have
been compelled to 90 away herself, be-
cause the inevitable for her had become,
long since, a matter of course; but to
! have the iron hand of ineXorable neces-
! sity grasp this magnificent young man
was terrible. He had the flashing eyes,
/ the lordly mien, the eXultant step-for
| thus had little Miss Turpin been wont to
| classify the somewhat alluring personal
| attractions of young Blake-he to be-
come the prey of an adverse destiny!
J Miss Turpin's breakfast that morning
was failure. BY dint of long practice
and an exceedingly gracious gift of
/ housewifery she had always managed to
| get up extraordinary little meals for
| herself. 1t was as if a little, sooty an
| gel sat up aloft in the chimney and as
sisted the culinary efforts of the lone
/ little woman. Her toast was of brown
| the most golden, her coffee was of
Mocha the most delicious, her bit of
steak so juicy and appetizing, that some
times poor Blake, in the neighboring
room, with some chunks of brown bread
| floating helplessly in a chalky fluid be-
| fore him, finding this savOry OdOr under
! his nostrils, raised his clenched hands at
! the stern wall between them in envy and
despair.
But even the little angel in the CHM
ney became impatient with the be-
| haviOur of little Miss Turpin that
morning. The little woman, usually so
practicable and capable, while straining
her ear to listen to faltering, stumbling
| steps in the next room, deliberately
burned the toast and boiled the coffee,
and the sooty wings spread themselves,
taking flight in disappointment and dis
gust.
She held her breath as the familiar
foOtstep passed her door, and slowly
I I, 4
stairs. Oh, where was he going? What
would he do? She had read sometimes
of an evening, when working hours were
over, the shaded lamp upon the table at
her side, the Goals leaping and blazing
in the refulgent CRATE, her little slippered
feet upon the fender-she had read of
people who, having neither money,
means nor content, had drifted into a
moment of frenzy and despair, and thus
leaped the awful bar that separated the
known from the unknown, content to
risk any fate but which awaited them
here. She had read thus of poor,
strange unfortunates, and her heart had
ached in their behalf But now? Well,
now her. heart almost ceased to beat.
She put away her work-of what avail
was it, all blotted and blurred. by her
tears or ruined by her shaking brush
All day she feared and trembled; at
night-fall some intuitive hope caused
her to brighten the fire, cook dainty
meal, and, placing the table opposite
the door, leave the tempting, coy room
open on the wind-swept, gloomy cor
ridOr. -
Then she waited and waited. The
clock struck at midnight; then l, ?, :
from neighboring belfry. The meal
was cold, the fire burned low; the chill
gray morning had almost dawned, when
at last il came; yes-thank God! falter
ing and slow; but it was his fOotstep
none other could quicken little Miss Tur.
pins pulse.
He reached the landing, the door o
her room. Why, truly, he did pause
yes, and stagger in. --
Any other woman but this, perhaps
would have recoiled with disgust anC
horror, and above all, with fear, for tn,
, young man was evidently not himself
: His hair, damp and disheveled, hung il
: heavy disorder about his face and neck
t his eyes CLASSY and lurid, blazed upol
? hers; red flame burned in his cheeks
a slight foam flickered his tremblin,
lips.
2 He fell into the chair at the table, an,
I looked wOnderingly upon the food be
: been frantically devoured six hours be
fore was like the ashes of bitterness t
him now. He had not tasted food fo
2 thirty-siX hours. But it was not hunge
: that tortured him; it was thirst-a
appalling thirst.
. He drank the pitcher of water froT
f Miss Turpin's hand, and looked plead
7 ingly for more.
T 1'Do not be afraid to give the patier
water,'' he murmured eagerly. {"
e cases of febrile debility they sometime
5 suffer-suffer. / recommend by a
e means, er-water-water. - The
n he fell back with groan of agony.
= Miss Turpin ran out of the room an
s down the stairs, pounded on the door {
the German tailor below, who, with hi
e wife and five children, was enjoying /
}, sleep the only immunity granted theI
n from endless labor and toll, bade hiI
It fly for the best doctor in the neighbol
: hood; ran up the stairs again like
T deer, and found DIR. Blake insensibl,
S his head thrown back upon the chair, h
n eyes half closed, his stentorious bTeatl
t ING audible in the corridor below.
o The little German returned with tn
e very best medical aid in the vicinity
even that of the eminent DIR. Haversha
d himself
e All this fuss and confusion ha
Is aroused Mr.. Shadrach, who followe
II them up the stairs and protruded h
II long, hairy chin in the doorway.
a . 1t is, perhaps, best that yOu shOul
,e know, madam" said the surgeon to Ii
r tie Miss Furpin, "that it is doubtf
lie case. Your husband is in very crit
n cal condition. If this worthy man wi
is assist me we win get him to bed On
in only hope viii be a powerful sedativ
n Z q, ~ rrit-os, a4 Onnn