The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1881-04-28
The next day I bade good-bYe 4

: college life the above episode slipped
T from my mind to be recalled once
> more on perusing letter from my
brother. so
"You remember the little girl with
the beautiful face whom you befriend-
ed when she broke her pitcher?" he
wrote. ''Well, she and that dreadful
woman. Hester, have lett the place.
and no one knows why or where they
have gone. fear that the poor child
has a sadly pitiful future before her"
Ten years have PASSED since the
date Of the above-years that had
wrought many changes, and later, my
brother Arthur grown to mans estate,
had brought to the old home a bonny
bride.
Then in the course of year a little
stranger had arrived, who grew and
thrived, and in due time learned to
stretch out his arms in welcome to his
bachelor uncle.
My friends often laughed and joked
me about following my younger broth
Eer's example and choosing wife; but
though thirty years had rolled over
nay head. had never felt my heart
beat quicker in the presence of any
woman. But this summer of which
am now about to write, [ could make
that boast no longer. Early in the
season, Arthur, bis wife, their three
year old son, and myself, had come to
n retired nook by the seaside, to spend
the summer months. There were only
nfow people staying in the small hotel
besides ourselves.
Two of the number, an elderly,
gray-haircd lady and her beautiful
companion, who I supposed was her
daughter, interested ne at first sight
Their names were Mrs. and Miss Car
ter But although whenever VIC met,
l exerted myself as I never had done
before to be entertaining, l did not
seem to be making much headway
towards an acquaintance with the
young lady whose charms of face and
manners had 50 strongly attracted me-
l suppose l might as well make a
clean breast of it, and confess at once
to my readers that the heart which l
had deemed so impregnable had sue
cumbed at last. At length chance
placed in my way an opportunity of
drawing nearer to the object of my
fancy.
It happened in this wise: Ny
brother and I started off one morning
1 to attend to some necessary business
f matters in the neighboring town. We
e reached home earlier than We expec-
e ted, and before returning to the hotel,
we desided to while away an hour by
strolling upon the beach.
n AS we approached the bathing
: houses we were surprised to see a large
n tlrong Of people gathered together
l.. and conversing excitedly.
/" Apprehensive that something had
y happened, we quickened our steps
d AS we came up. the crowd parted,
: and all at once, with cruel sudden
n ness, Arthur learned that while he
n had been lettering only short dis
c tance away, those nearest and dearest
TO him had been in deadly peril.
0 While bathing in fancied security,
|, bearing her laughing boy in her arms,
n his wife had been caught by the treach.
erous under-current and carried in an
> instant, beyond her depth, and out OF
!, reach of her companion, who could
C none of them swim.
No man had been III sight at the
G time, and had it not been for a young
! girl who had been watching the bath
e ers from her seat upon the rocks, all
!. nope of rescue would have been futile.
Incumbered as she had been by her
/: clothing, regardless of all peril to her
self, Miss Carter had courageously
; breasted the pillows, and had succeed
IS ed in reaching the spot where the
mother and child had sunk.
" When they arose to the surface her
brave young arms had been able to
n keep herself and ,them up, until help
/ had arrived
If had loved Rose Carter before, l
l worshipped her now as I clasped my
, little nephew and Hamesal c in ny
t arms, end heard my brother, in tones
r trcmulous with repressed feeling, ex.
# press his thanks to her but for whose
u noble courage he would have been q
!. wifeless, childless man.
y After that the vail of reserve wa
lifted from between Miss Carter and
y myself, and before long We gnew to bC
5, very good friends.
i, But the summer days which had
been so full of pleasure for me were
d fast drawing to their close, and as We
N l had not dared to speak plainly o.
N what was in my heart.
e. With my love had grown up a feel
e, ing of dissatisfaction with myself.