The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1881-10-06

cheon is spead. There is an air OF ju-
bilaEt triumph about him as he bus
ties about Nelly, assisting her to take
off her wraps and saying ''nOthings
which are anything but ''soft," as the
great man expresses them. To me |
his air is simply patrOniZing. Mrs. /
Spalding is gracious, as usual ; and /
Mr.. Spaldinc seems to regard the near /
prospect of lunch with more evident /
satisfaction than he does the prOspe, t /
Of an artistic trea Mr.. Blagden sug- /
gests that we had better step in to see ]
the picture-lunch has evidently its I
attractions for "the great Josiah"
But l tell him l wait DR.. Brooke, at
which announcement he subsidies /
Then l suggest to Miss Nelly that
with her mothers PERMISSION, she
may have the picture all to herself for
a mOmentary peep. Mrs. Spalding,
who is deep with Miss Blagden in the
mysteries Of the manufacture of rhu
barb jam, readily consents.
Nelly follows me into the room
where my picture stands covered with
a crimson cloth on my easel. l close
the door and unveil it. Nelly chances
at it for a moment, then growing
deadly pale, sinks, half fainting-nOt
into my arms, but into those OF DR..
James Brooke, who has most OppOr-
timely come upon the scene. In
speechless establishment he gaZes at
me, but he too seems as if he were go
ing to repeat Nelly's procedure as he
chances at the icture. "FOr heavens
sake, Regy," says Jim, 'cover that
picture up?"
Nelly opened her eyes in moment
or TWO, which seemed to me like an
age jim had employed the interval
| in fashion unfamiliar to lovers, be-
| lieVe. And when she did open her
| eyes it was to clasp Jim round the
neck, and her words were few but de-
! cided ''Jim, dear Jim l can never,
never marry that man! l will do
whatever you wish me to. But, OH
! they have tried me SOL"
What is it in my picture that has
! so perturbed the levers and brought
| Nelly Spalding TO her senses? Sim
ply the interior Of the old church once
again. A ray of sunlight streaming
through a chlnk in the stained win
dow falls on the sad, pale, fearful face
of the newly made bride. The brides
face is Nelly's own, and the pOmpOus
Bridegroom is Josiah Magden, the ar
/
coat and chain has cost me no end of
pains. Behind bride and bridegroom
come the figures OF Mr.. and Mrs.
Spalding, and in the DIM distance the
vicar is seen standing within the altar
rails. But the central figure after the
bride herself is the young man, pale,
mOtiOnless as a statue, who stands i'll
pew and whose ashy gaze is fixed
] 10 IN Of no I'm
the pew is that of James Brooke. The
picture tells its own story to Nelly
Spalding. 1t places the possibility of
the new future as she never dared to
picture it to herself. 1t reflects in all
its naked truth the fate to which
through her indecison she may COM
nit herself and Jim. And it tells its
story so we'll that art conquers dip
lOmacy in decision, and aids love lii
its triumph over the great Josiah
himself.
Footsteps on the stairs. I cover the
picture again. Nelly stands beside
DR.. Brooke, her cheek is pale, and
there are tears like dewdrOps glisten-
ing in her eyes. The iron-masteI
looms in the doorway. He takes i'll
the matter at glance and frOwns
darkly at Jim and me.
AS soon as Mr.. and Mrs Spalding
who closely follow Josiah, have en-
tered the room, Nelly, to my surprise
walks quickly up to her father and
takes his hand. Father" said she
with a tremulOus yet decisive tone
you know the message you brought
me from Mr.. Blagden this morning
Give him my answer now. Tell hin
, that l am going TO marry DR.. Brooke.
Now, it is my opinion that, had the
discarded Josiah at this moment hello
his tongue, he might have got boil
Mr.. and Mrs. Spalding to speak ;
word for him with Nelly. But as il
was, he destroyed his own case at I
: blow.
''Message from me-and this is my
answer ?" he said i'll an angry voice
! "Why, / care nOWt-nOWt," he re
, peated bitterly, "about the mat
ter. I guess it was the lass
father and mother that wanted
to marry Josiah Blagdem'
mOney-perhaps they wanted some o
it for themselves"
q. The rudeness and Vulgaritv whIcl
marked the man came out unmistak
ably as he said these words, and tax
| ing his sisters arm in his,and, casting
look of vindictive scorn at the doctor
and myself, he walked out at tn,
door with an ungainly strut which
: was meant for dignity, and we saw
the great Josiah no more.
Mrs. Spalding was especially cut VI
by the parting fling of Josiah, as i
was she who had man9uvred the
matter thus far. Mr.. Spalding, OF
the other hand, burst into a jOvia
laugh, and taking his daughter
hand placed it in that of the doctor.
After all had left the studio but Mr.
Spalding, the latter asked me to tel
him i'll plain terms how l had brOugh
this abOut-fOr he had no doubt
was at the bottom oft. l uncovered
the picture, which Mr.. Spalding-
simple, easy-minded gentleman tina
he was-scrutinized with his double
3 eyeglasses, remaking 10 me that ht
did not quite understand it all, bu
that it was wonderfully clever, and
that JOsiah's "weskit was as like a.
; life"
III six weeks thereafter I officiateC
as ''best man" at Jim's marriage. A.
the Organist pealed forth the iubilan
strains of Mendelssohn after the vi
cars benedicIion had been given, and
: Nelly, radiant and beautiful. passed
2 down the aisle on her husbands arm
5 l could not help rejoicing in the sue
cess of what is now No. 329-A We'd
ding March-thOugh the faces in tn,
? picture as exhibited are slightly dis
guised and Mr.. JOsiah's vest has been
/ shorn of its distinctive features.
That is the romance which, as
fg1.V 81