The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1882-12-14
A HaSty Conclusion.

!
So till late"
SFSS And handsome Richar,
Everett, seal-capped and overcoated
bent to kiss his little wife.
Must you really go, DickF' i'm
ploringly.
"Must / really gor' he repeated
"What a dreadful solemn tace!-
Yes, you ridiculous darling, 1 real
" must.
WHAT" persistently.
"Oh, because of an-an engage
ment IL cannot break" dear, 6
trifie guiltily.
''With whom?"
"Good graciousl what an inqulsi
tive little mortal it is, to be sure
Don't trouble your pretty head with
business engagements; and once
more, my pet, good-by. And-oh
1 say, Dolly" turning back and
putting q furry head inside the door
''if you're in search of job, l just
wish you'd mend my overcoat.
noticed big tear on the cars-it' s
an ugly tear. viii your
And to his rather discontented
speech Mrs. Dick nodded, and
smiled a bright acquiescence.
The door slammed behind Dick,
and she glanced around the cozy,
home like room.
IF only Dick had not been
obliged to go out-and such cold
night, tOo?'
The gas burned brightly; the
CHEEKY fire in the CRATE was bed of
golden Goals; the French clock on
the mantle ticked musieally. To.
ward the erimson-covered table, on
which lay a pile of unopened maya
zines looked two wistful blue eyes.
But the bride of six months shook
her dainty bronze-brown head with
resolute determination and the
rosy lips repeated the hacl1neyed
formula, DUTY first, pleasure after" 4"
So accordingly, the little white
hands laboriously lugged and hauled
Dicks big overcoat into the room,
turned it over, and commenced their
occupation. She smiled softly to
herself, for her thoughts were pleas
ant, as she sat and sewed; a rarely
pretty picture in the parlor's firelit
glow-the childish figure in the
soft, dark dress and snowy muslin
apron, the busy hands flying brisk
ly through their task.
Tomorrow viii be my birthday,
and Dick has forgotten it I know.
How sorry he viii be when 1 tell
him tomorrow"
And as she broke merrily into
Comm Thro' the Rye" the dainty
French conceit on the low marble
mantle silvery struck 10.
She paused, smilingly, with needle
suspended, to heSr the mad, merry
waltz that tinkled out from the little
bronze cupids.
Her task finished she turned the
coat over TO see if it needed other
repairs, and as she did so, small
square sheet of paper futtered from
an inside pocket and fell upon the
crimson carpet.
She bent forward and picked it
up with low laugh.
(Which of Dicks friends is
sufficiently foppish to perfum his
letters, I wonderY
Then she turned it right side up
and looked at it. And then she saw
what?
Nothing very terrifying, certainly.
Only a thick sheet of embossed
paper, stamped with monogram,
in azure and gold, incomprehensible
as monograms usually are.
\ woman's letter, decidedly
written in a pretty, scrawling, ir-
regular hand, Enthusiastically a wo-
man s.
The bird-lil1e song died on Dolly
Everett's lips; the soft, bright color
faded slowly out of her face; the
blue eyes grew wider and startled,
as deliberately, though almost in
voluntarily, she read the few words
on the page before her. The note
ran:
"DicE Darling: l have missed you
dreadfully of late. Come! Excuse
diplomacy tonight and slip away.
1 hate her for keeping you from me.
Besides, Gerster is in town. Is the
hint too broad? In spite of all,
Dick, ever yours, EDITH.
This was all, but it was enough.
For n few moments Dolly's eyes,
blazing, terrified, stared straight at
the faithful sheet as though they
would shrivel up with their blue fire
Then she flung it shuddering from
her, as though it were venomoue
thing and could sting her.
Who was the woman dared write
so to Dick-her Dick? Yes, shC
told herself, with an air Of dehIni
proprietorship, hers only.
She crushed her hand tightly To-
gether till the diamond next the
plain gold circlet cut the white flesh
cruelty.
Then. as a horrible suspic or
leaped to life in her brain, with {
low moan she slipped from hel
chair and crouched shivering
against the great shaggy overeont
Her fears took tangible shape
What if he had gone to meet this
woman? For the first time he hac
evaded answering her questions.
And how guilty and hurried h'
had seemed-so horribly happy anC
light-hearted, too! A thousand
words and glances, before almost
unnoticed, now flashed upon her
She snatched up the note again anC
looked at it.
1t was dated the evening of thai
day.
aOh, Dick! Dickr' she erie d
wildly, show could you? And.
loved you sor'
Then, with a sudden storm o
sobs. she broke down altogether
and. burying her face in the crum
! pied overcoat, wept as if her yer.
heart was breaking, the graceful
little figure shaken and convulsed
The FIRE burned low in the graf
under a coating Of gray ashes.
Eleyeni Now she did not paus
to listen 10 the silvery music.
Footsteps came along the side
walk, up the steps; a latch Ike.
q 4 J..