The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1882-06-15

VW the world with you now
<N2SID a-days?" said Gerald
6SS Castleton to the village
hair-dresser.
"About as usual, Mr.. Gerald
And how is the squire and my lady?''
''They were all well last week.
By-the-by, / have orders from Miss
Anstruther for you She is to give
tableau party next week, and as
her young lady friends are most of
the brunette type, she means to
transform some of them, by your
help, into blondes"
''All right was the CHEEKY
answer. ''Tn do my best to please.
But here comes a head of hair for
you;" and Pierre made a gesture to
call the young mans attention to a
girl of, perhaps, twelve years of age,
who was just entering. "Good-
morning, little one" he continued;
with friendly nod; "but what is
the matter?' for a glance at her face
showed she had been crying.
''Oh, Mr.. Duval, my mother is
sick, and the doctor says she must
have three kinds of medicine, and
beef tea, and lots of things, and we
have no money to buy them. 1t.
seemed to me as though my heart
would break as l heard what he
said. Then I thought of my hair
For a.man came along one day and
told mother that he would give her,
oh! such lot of money for it. But
she wouldn't let him have it. You
viii buy it, won't you?" and the
childish voice had a plaintive culver
in it which went straight to the
hearts of the two listeners.
Pierre Duval was fully sensible of
the great value of the silky locks,
which hung like a tawny, gold
flecked mantle down almost to the
girls feet. But he put away tempta-
ton, and said:
81 must not rob the poor mother
of a treasure she sets such store by, |
child. She would never forgive me-"
"Then she will die, and they will !
put her in the cold grave, just as
they did my father"
"Let US see if you and 1 cannot
make bargain said Gerald, smil-
ingly. 81 will give you a purse |
filled with sovereigns, and in return |
every single hair on your head will |
belong to me. Is that fairP'
"Yes,'' said the child TREMENDOUSLY. !
Then Gerald took pair of shears,
and lifting one long curl, severed it
from its mates and coiled it into a
shining ring. Then he drew out his
pocket book and placed his treasure
within it, as he said to the wonder
ing girl:
Il only want sample of my
property, so as to be sure of the
color. Now, remember, your hair is
no longer your own-it is mine.
Take very good care of it,
With a parting nod to Pierre, and
and an injunction not to fail to ex-
ecute his cousins order, he went his
way, after slipping a netted silken
purse filed with gold into Ginevra's
hand.
"He's just the same as ever"
murmured Pierre. when a mite
of a fellow, if he saw a beggar, he
wasn't satisfied until he had emptied
his pockets for him Bless his kind
hearth Then he turned toward the
girl. cit is all right" he said,
kindly. "Mr. Gerald has more
money than he knows what to do
with, I am glad he happened to be
here, Run home and tell your
mother to make haste and get well, |
for the money the young master
has given you will buy all she'll
need for some time to come"
"The gentleman did not give it
to me-" said the child. "He paid
it to me for my hair"
The air of unconscious dignity
with which she corrected Pierre's |
mistake amused him greatly.
"She's a born lady," he thought
to himself. Then he said, aloud,
"You are right. 1t was a fair bar
gain. Tell your mother So"
The next week Gerald left the
city for Briarlie, his fathers place,
and in a few months started on a
tour which lasted for several years
All remembrance of this little cpl
sode would have faded away but
for the curl of which he had pos
sessed himself. 1t had fashion of
occasionally turning up as he ran
sacked amid his papers, and then
he would wonder what had become
of the pretty child whose sorowful
appearance had so interested him.
Atlast he was home again. Many
changes had taken place during his
absence. His favorite cousin,
Blanche Anstruther,ha had left Briarlie,
which had been her home since her
parents death The once stately
old squire, his father, had grown
quite infirm, and his mothers dark
hair was thickly threaded with silver
But there was no change in the low
ing hearts which welcomed his re-
turn.
Among other of his invitations
came one from his cousin Blanche.
Her husband had an estate where
there was excellent hunting and
fishing. Would he join them in the
autumn?
Gerald concluded to go, Weeks
rolled on and brought the appointed
time.
cousin Gerald" said Blanche,
81 expect you will help Hugh to
make things pleasant for my young
lady guests. / am particularly anx-
ious that Miss Glyndon should en-
joy herself, for she has refused an
invitation from her Grace the
Duchess of Strathearn to come
to me. She was the belle Of
the season in London last winter.
Every one was raving about her."
"And do you mean to say, Blanche,
that you are willfnlly about TO ex-
pose me to such dangerous fascina.
tionsp asked Gerald, with mock
seriousness. "Well, I'll do my best
. to please you; but bellies are not at
all to my taste"
Hush! here she is now" wills
pered Blanche, warningly.
Gerald looked up. A slender
girl dressed in spotless white stood
: in the doorway. Not an ornament
: of any kind interfered with the