Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-09-17

cloud Of smoke, either back or front,
every man it contained; but Jack was
not among the number. What could be
the matterp Where had he gomez But
it was no matter where he had gone, L
concluded, and felt inwardly relieved,
as [ might now enjoy my trip to the
full, with the coast clear from obtrusive
observation of my partner or anything
else.
In less than ninety minutes we had
reached Pleasantville, having expert
enced no delays from switching off for
passing trains, there being ample
stretches of double track along the line.
Here an old angler, sitting next to me,
began to rig up his line. He was going
for founders, he said, and proposed to
commence operations at the railroad
bridge and travel downward to the
mouth of the inlet.
"Why, / can come down here and
fish all day, and the very best fishing at
that, too, for fifty cents the round trip.
Don't that beat alp" said he.
He was about to give me an account
of what little fighters and biters snap
ping-mackerel were, when we arrived at
the depot on the main avenue in the city
by the sea.
Carriage, sir! Carriage!" greeted
me from dozen drivers, which first put
it into my head that carriage was the
very thing | wanted. About the horses
| found myself particular. So, after
taking q somewhat critical look at the
several teams, at last selected pair of
spanking bays.
"Drive to the Hotel H." l said,
as entered the carriage.
Just then it occurred to me that had
not been particular about the price of
the driver. What was the matter that
should feel so much like Il harum. scarum
boy again? Was it the salt air or the
ocean breezeP For the life of me
couldn't divine, neither did l have any
specified object in going to the Hotel
II, unless might find Jack there
Heaven forbidden maybe somebody
else knew.
"No," replied the clerk to my inqui-
ry; "Mr. SOarer is not here; he left
suddenly last evening"
"Is Mrs. A stopping at this
house?"
ayes, sir"
"Will you have the kindness to send
up my card?"
The card was promtly sent up by the
clerk, and l soon had the incstimable
pleasure of being seated by the girl l
had loved when a boy-a girl no longer
now,. but mature and lovely widow I;
and how very thankful | felt was a
boy no longer, like that harum-scarum
Jack, but a steady and stalwart man.
elbow very kind it was of you to
come down at this time, Mr.. Jones"
she said.
"Ilardly so kind as such very great
pleasure to myself, Mrs. A." said /;
"but | have so little leisure, and-excuse
mel took the very great liberty of
hiring carriage at the door; won't
you take a drive about with me and
show me somewhat of the place? | am
altogether q stranger down here,
though the railroad makes it so very
near"
And the lovely widow, acquiescing,
soon had herself in readiness; and be-
meath the friendly shade of an interyen-
ing ileecy cloud we soon were driving
along the broad avenues and past scores
of beautiful cottages in the queen city
on the beach.
"I am so utterly lonely without her,
dear friend" said she, signing as we
were gazing upon the sublime prospect
of sky and ocean.
Without who?n | asked.
"Why, my ward, Mr.. Jones. My
poor dear husbands only daughter
How could you askPn
"Is she drowned?n l was about to
exclaim, when the widow continued:
"And to think of her running away
to be married without even farewell
Oh, oh! it's too much"
"Don't cry, my DEAR" l said, sym
pathizingly; "it's no great matter
Young people will do such things. ]
wish we had done so, too, dear Alicia
twenty years ago."
"Oh! Mr.. J-o-n-e-s!n
81 sympathize with you deeply" ]
said, earnestly and trembling; but you
really must forgive me for being more
! interested in yourself than in you
ward.n
Nor did she resist my taking her little
hand and pressing it warmly. The roal
! of the surf drowned our sweet converse
: from all but ourselves, while a lonely
= part of the beautiful beach presented mt
the opportunity to declare that from my
early boynood' days she only had beer
the idol of my heart. Need 1, deal
reader-as the novelists express tiff
the curtain from the delightful secrec,
! ! of what we said? VIII it not be enough
to tell you that before the sun haC
reached the meridian at noon the dea
! Alicia was my own; that with all tn,
eloQuence of which | am possessed,
had pursuaded the dear girl to agree t.
) an early day, and that everything
:. seemed propitiousP
, On returning to the city | found a let
; ter from Jack, dated at Niagara Falls
in which he stated that he had unex
pectedly been called away on bushes
{ of the greatest importance, though wha
it could be at such place, save som
+ wildcat scheme for utilizing its water
\ power, l could not for the life of m
! make out. l was glad, however, tina
y he was away, and thus left me free iron
any impertinent remarks.
i 1t was lovely Fourth Of July thu
q Alicia and were made one. though
4 it but due to my partner to apprize hir
4 of the event, which did, after the wed
a ding, through brief telegram. A fey
: days afterward, while on our bridal tom
n l received the following very startlin