The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1881-11-24
A DAUGHTER OF ADOPTION.
BY HELEN FOREST GRAVES.


Mr.. Seaford was opening his morn
ing mail. The letter tray was always
well filled, for Mr.. Selwyn Seaford
was one Of those pleasant, good look
ing, easy tempered bachelors who have,
as the saying goes, Ghosts of friends"
Perfumed Invitations to lawn-ten-
mis- breakfasts and archery teas; con-
tidential little notes from young ladies
who We're in dispair about masquerade
costumes; commissions from pretty
young matrons regarding zephyr,
worsted and Langudoc lace long let
ters from chamOis shooting friends
among the Bavarian Alps, and chatty
epistles from attaches at Paris and vi
enna-this was what formed the sta
pie Of his correspondence. And at the
very bottom lay black edged mis-
sive, bearing the stamp of "Long
Branch"
Slowlow Mr.. Selwyn broke the seal
slowly he read it over.
$50 poor Fulton is dead at last" was
his first thought. "But by JOve it's
rather cool of him to leave me his
daughter to educate and bring up.
seeing that we are neither relations nor
connections. 1t is true that he was my
college friend but there were plenty Of
others with whom he was far more in
innate. A girl, here in my bachelor
den! What on earth was poor Fulton
thinking Off"
The first idea was that he would en-
tirely abjure the request; the second,
superstitious feeling that he could
not.
'Pshaw " said Selwyn Seaford, tug
ging fiercely at his brown, silk-soft
I
chocolate caromels-all that sort of
thing. 1t viii turn my quiet home
into a regular carnival; but l don't
see that there's any evading it."
lie got up and pushed his letters
away, and walked through the house
surveying the various apartments.
Eyes" he unused, "by giving uD nv
cabinet room and changing my library
car manage to spare quite a respect
able suit Of apartments. OF course I
shah Nave to invite old Aunt Bales
uerre to come and live with me, TO
play prOpriety. 1t will be the old story
of ward and guardian over again. She
will probably fall in love me, or with
her, and therc'll be the duce and all to
pay. Why on earth couldn't Fulton
have lived long enough to bring up his
own daughter"
y w
conscientious, and once convinced that
1t was his duty TO receive Diana Full
ton into his house, lost no time in tele-
graphing to Aunt Balestierre, prepar-
ing the pretty suit of rooms, and hast
ening down to Long Branch.
Eyes" the polite hotel clerk told him
''Miss Fulton was on the beach-shC
spent most of her time there" essen.
timental, l suppose" thought Seaford
with a grimace)-"With her maid. ,
ooh, a maid into the bargain
French flirt, TO carry notes on the sly
and foster att sorts of intrigues," in,
wardly groaned our herO.) "WoulC
the gentleman step that way, or shsult
he (the clesk,) send porter down p
Mr.. Seaford preferred to walk down
himselt-and presently he found him
self standing on the shores of tn,
sounding sea, waiting for the conclu
sion of a brisk but scientific encounte
between a little girl of six and he
nurse, before he should inquire hi
way to the Point Freeze sands.
The little girl was small, but DIES
perate. She wreathed herself like
serpent about her attendants ankle
bit, scratched, and finally settled mat
tiers by flinging handful of sand int,
the nurses eyes.
"Therew said she, painting, Lowell,
and venomous. "NOw, will you lie
me alone ?"
''Well, 1 never" suffered the wo
man. "And your new silk stocking
all salt water, and your elegant blacl
satin ruined-clean ruined, miss -
81 don't care!' screamed the child
II don't! 1 don't! l don't! I'll ru
away and drown myself, so there
now"
"COme back, Miss Di, there's
jewell" coaXod the stout MilesiaI
wiping the sand out of her blunt fea
lures. "Come back, and"
But here Mr.. Seaford stepped fol
ward.
'MY good woman" said he, "wi
you tell me that child's name? Ful
ton. Miss Diana Fulton. Indeed !
And this little black-browed vixe
with the name of tangled, ietty hail
the slim, serpent-liKe figure, til
flushed, angry face, was the queenl
orphan he had pictured as a youn
lady just ready to be launched int
society.
Involuntarily his heart gave gres
throb of relief.
"Come here, you little gipsy!" sal
he, "for / will whistle to the bigges
shark OF the coast 10 come ana eat yO
upw
He held out his hand with a smil
Gradually the fTown faded out frol
the olive forehead, and without hes
taion the small Diana accepted h
overtures.
ooh, know!" said she. ''You'
old Bachelor Seaford :"
Laws, miss !" gasped the scandal
cd maid
Exactly" said Mr.. Seaford, gravel
"Then it's all right" said Diau
"Papa said you would take care ofm
Couldn't we go into the Iron Pier al
sec the Punch-and-Judy show now
Aunt Balastierre could hardly b
lieve the testimony of her double ey
glasses when Miss Diana skipped I'M
the room with doll in one hand an
package of candies i'm the other.
II do declare p said the enfant te
rible; "here's an old lady who is iu
like the ugly old witch in my fair
book Is she your grandmother, NJ
Seaford 2"
''Grandmother ~ gasped Aunt Bale
tia1q.a