The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1881-08-25
BEULAH'S LOVERS.

BEULAH'S LOVERS.
Beulah had managed to arrang
for an hours relief from her arduou
duties, and, in her own room, wit
locked door, was walking to and frr
r,stlessly up and down. now with quicI
+ nervous steps, now slowly, thought
fully, bnt always with that same rest
lessness and utter unpeacefulnes
that was new experience to her.
The great uouse was very quiet
for Mrs Sartoris had gone to her OWL
room for her usual after-lunch siesta
The children, May and AIignon, anc
j tck, were off, in the sweet Jun,
weather, in charge of the nursery
maid, attached to their little highness
es, Fay and Mignon, aged 4 and {
respectively,
And Mr.. Alsager was-Beulah did
not know whore, as pacing the velvet
carpet Of the elegant rooms, that Mrs.
Sartoris did not think any too good
for her ehildren's resident governess,
Beulah's cheeks famed or paled at
thought of him
He was the "Uncle Bertie7 whom
the chillren alternately adered and
tormented. He was the handsome
bachelor brother of pretty Mrs. Sartor-
is come to preside over West Lawn
since Mr.. Sartoris' death, over three
years ago. "A rich, masterful, elegant
man, who. had fallen desperately in
love with the governess, and-been
accepted by her twenty-four hours be-
fore.
Beulah had locked herself in her
room, daring, for the first time in
those twenty-four hours-yes, for the
first time since Ber,ie Alsager had
fist shown his ardent admiration,
three months before-to look matters
straight in the face.
And she saw two undeniable facts
in that unshrinkirg- steadflst, stubborn
gp2e. One, that never again in all
her life would such wonderful good
fortune come to her as this that Alsa-
ger had laid, with pleadings and kisses
at her fset, twenty-fonr hours before
70 be so rich, SO influential socially,
t. lead such a Luxurious life, not one
girl-one poor, obscure girl-in ten
t :ousand would ever had such chance
as this. Besides, he was handsome,
and young, and she liked him remark
ably well.
But then that other fact-that when
Vernon had sailed, one year before,
he had taken her solemn promise to
fsnd of him, when he returned, loyal
and true, ready to be claimed by
him.
When he returned-June ? 4; and
to-day it was the 23r,i.
What was she to d02
She could not take counsel of her
ewn heart, because already its true,
honest love had been set up in def
aace against luxury, ease and riches.
If she had seen true to her own
heart, true to her womanhood, BERTHE
Alsager's declaration would never
have left his lips; but it was rot enough
that she had not been true to them,
and now she was in place where there
was t. be 4 terrible fight between am
bition and affection.
To morrow, Vernon would be at
West Lawn, He was not a man to
take her detection easily or quietly,
nor the sort of lover who could, or
preferred to, conceal his happiness
from all eyes.
Aisager would learn in less than half
an hour how she had played fast and
loose with them both; Vernon would
understand her treackegy to him; and
which of them would forgive herr
Rather whose anger, whose i'll wishes
would she prefer to endure?
So this pretty, amb>bUus Beulah
walked up and down, up and down,
her brain whirling between the two
fJrces striving for conquest.
One word from either of them would
settle it oil. One word to Alsager,
telling hrm she had been mistaken In
her own feelings-giving up her pleas
ant position as governes, with its con-
genial duties, its salary of six hundred
dollars a year, going away out Of the
luxury she enjoyed with every fibre of
her own being. OF course she could
do all this, and thereby settle" it all
with BERTHE AIsager.
And meet Pierce Vernon on his
becoming, alasl not as leal and
true as when he left her, but still lell
and true enough to have overcome
ambiii IN for his dear sake.
What could she do?
And, as if in answer, she heard her
name called from below, and she saw
Mr.. Alsager standing in the shade,
+ l.