The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1881-11-24

or, hi was found to have wrought a
terrible devastation. The precise but
Ter gave warning. the house-keeper
shed tears over her pillaged preserve
closet. the old Sevres china had been
used for dolls tea-set, and windows
and a bisque statuettc Of Psyche were
broken, and a bottle of ink had been
upset OH the pale-blue mOquetle car
pet Of the drawing-rOOm.
"What shall we do :" cried Aunt
Baleslicrre, III dismaY.
Mr.. Seaford smiled. The elf amused
him, after her quaint, stormy fashion.
'She is only child, said he.
"But such child" said Aunt
Balcsticrrc.
Let her stay here" said Mr.. Sea-
ford. "Shc's like bottle of Catawba
: wiuc-all cilervesce-and she'll i'm
prove with age"
SO Diana Fulton stayed and Gueened
it over the little household, apparent
/ " quite unaware that her slender in
/ heritance was insufficient to pay
! 1.-THE Of her daily expenses. The bound
! less possibilities Of youth was hers
| the sunshine of a cheerful spirit, and
! a quick imaginatiOn-and she seemed
perfectly happy where she was. At
fcctionate, impctuous, frank and will
| full, even Aunt BalestieTFe could not
but be fond Of her, after little.
And then, just as, to use Diana's
own words, ''they were all SO happy
together" came the news of an insur-
rection among SelWyn SeafoFd's West
India coffee plantations, and his pres
ence was required Immediately on the
spot.
Il shall probably return in three
months" he said. COR four at the
furtherest."
ooh, Mr.. Seaford - sobbed Diana,
clinging around him, cant L go, too
i and Balestierre -
"Pshaw, pet, pshaw !" said Seaford,
more moved than he dared to eYince.
"Why, l shall be back before you
have had time to miss me-"
When Mr. Seaford spoke the hope
full words, he never dreamed that
twelve long years would elapse before
he returned, broke down in health
with hair prematurely whitened and
, fortune considerably lessened from the
r West India plantations. But good
Aunt Balestierre was there to well
come him, and Di also.
: Diana growing into a royalty beau
tiful young creature, slim, stately,
: deer-eyed, with a color like roses and
lilies, and an unconscious grace i'll
every motion! Mr.. Seaford sighed
when he saw her. Never, until then
5 had he realized what an old men he
5 was getting to be-old, even for fifty
5 one years.
, Some people are yOungO of their age
+ but he-even the years and months
7 seemed to have a special spite against
f him!
= Eyes" said Aunt BaIestierre, looking
/ triumphantly at Di, ''she's quite wo.
4 man now; AMI she has had two offer:
two good offers, mind, Selwyn!
= was quite VcXed at her for refusing
!, young Poole, who had a quarter of 8
/ million of his own
''IIow is this, little girl ?" asked Mr.
: Seaford.
t Il didn't care for him." said Diana
), simply.
f But you must marry some time,
e urged Mrs Bahstierre, piteously.
t 81 don't see the necessity of il" re
torted the girl.
5 Mr. SeafOrd said nothing just then
e but he spoke to Diana, in his capac
ity of guardian, few days afterward
y "My dear child" said he, gently
y ''you are a young lady now, and yOI
= have your future to look to. l should
l like to see you settled in Il home o
= your own before | did, and"
o ''Oh, Mr.. Seaford," paSsionately in
Y terrupted Diana, ''dOn't talk so -
e He smiled sadly.
Ii 'In fact my dear" said he, ''you ar
o now aXactly what 1 fanced you to b.
II twelve years ago, when first l heart
is that your poor father was gone.
was sitting, remember, in this yer
y room, opening my letters, and l imag
It ined you to be tall young woman
i with whom should fall in love"-a
> this, Di laughed and blushcd exquis
+ sitely-"Or who might, perhaps, fall /
t. love with me. \ on see, my pet, | wa
twelve years younger then; and now
D., am reluctantly compelled to acknowl
he edge to myself that all that remain
l. to me is to play the part of the oil
i, father OH the stage, and deliver yo
;" over to some handsome young lover
"A care"
y, He spoke lightly, but there was a
4 GndertOne of deep sadness III his voice
Id Diana came and perched herself o
Id the arm Of the pillOwed chair in whic
he was reclining.
n "But l don't want any handsOm
n young lover" said She. ooh, NJ
he Seaford-dear guardy, as 1 used
Il call you-can't the old times com
er back again %
er "Ah, little d" said he, mournfull,
is cold times never do come back"
"But they must-but they shall
$ cried the girl, with energy. NO
a shut your eyes-noW fancy yOurse
c, opening your letters. Could you ia
t. in love with me, guardy ?" holdin
to her hand playfully over his eyes. ''B,
cause-because the last half of prt
ly diction hiss come true. have falle
ct in love with you. There-now hay
told it all !"
o. And then Diana slipped down
gs her knees on the floor, and hid ht
elk burning face OH his arm, as he s.
there among the pillows.
d. What did SelWyn Seaford answer
IN He could answer nothing just at frs
re, He was like the pearl-sGekcr, VIII
coming toilsOmely home after a hop
a less day of failures, suddenly finds
N, pure pearl lying at his feet, his Ow
"a and his only.
"Di," said he, family, Il am o.
IL enough to be your father"
"YOu are just old enough to be n
i'll husband" she saucily retOrted.
a. "Aud have but half of what lit
y fortune / originally possessed.
Ell ''In my eyes," said Diana, gravel
ir, ''you are a rich man. But tell III
he first, one thing"
lv "Well ?"
ny "Dou you love me ?"
to "AIv little love, cannot Tememb
when l have not loved YOU !"