The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-07-06

. =
of young and impressionable girl, but
there was an expression of low cunning
\ on his face which convinced Lord Lyd-
4 brook that he was shrewd and unscrupu-
lous-in short, dangerous man to deal
with.
"Mr. Charles showed his wisdom by
1 leaving his lOrdship to explain the OBJ
| iect of his visit. Most men in Lord
Lydbrook's situation would have felt
embarrassed, but the cOol-headed Peer
was quite unpertuTbed. He said with
charming franlzness that his niece 5
family cou not pretend to be gratifed
at the choice she had made. On the
other hand it was impossible to ignore
the fact that she was old enough to
know her own mind. Her family OBJ
iected very much to the young lady
/ carrying on a clandestine love affair, and
as vet they were not prepared to recog-
nize the engagement. Under these cir
cumstances, Lord Lydbrook suggested
that the best course would be for ''Mr.
Charles to visit at the house as friend
OF the family, and perhaps in time the
engagement might be declared. Lord
Lvdbrook concluded by saying that
Lady Julia would be delighted if ''Mr.
Charles would dine at the hall that
evening.
was both gratifed and astonished by
Lord Lydbrook's suggestion; but he
hesitated to accept the invitation, and
endeavOred to excuse himself on the
ground of having no clothes fit to come
in. Lord LybroOk Immediately replied
that he had a spare suit of dress-clothes
in his pOrtmanteau, and would send it
down at once There was no resisting
his lordship's cordiality, and. fortified
by the wine he had been drinking, the
young man promised to dine at the hall
at seven O'Clock.
When Lord LydbroOk told his sister
what he had done, her ladyship near
" had fit. The Peer was obliged to
use all his influence to reconcile her to
his project. ANY other evening, pro
tested poor Lady Julia, in floods of
tears, would not have mattered so much;
but might, when Mr.. and Mrs.
Travers were dining ut the house, and
young Mr. Mapleton, who admired Eva
so, and would be such an excellent
match! But Lord Lydbrook prevailed, as
usual. Mr.. and Mrs. Travers, he re-
piled, were old and intimate friends, to
whom everything could be explained,
and he would make the neces-
sary apologies to young Mapleton,
if any should be needed. Lady
Julia Gained down after awhile. and
Just before dinner was announced, when
all the other guests had arrived. the as
tOnished butler ushered in ''Mr.
Charles
Lord Lydbrook advanced to meet his
guest with perfect affability. The poor
young man looked so sheepish and awk-
ward that his appearance was quite pit
liable. All his good looks seemed to
have vanished; his face shone with soap,
his hair glistened with pOmatum, his
clothes-or rather Lord LydbrOok' s.
did not fit him, and his hands looked
painfully large and red. Poor Lady
Julia shuddered as she gave him the
tips of her fingers, and her daughters
bowed and were fairly hOrrOr-stricken.
Mr.. Charles - arrival was a surprise
to every one but Lord LydbroOk and
Lady Julia, and especially to Eva
The poor girl was covered with cOnfu-
sion and, though she gallantly rallied
and went and sat by her lover, it was
evident to her uncle's keen eyes that
she was as much shoe ked as any one.
The dinner was like dreadful night
mare to the hostess and her daughters,
whose worst anticipations were realized
by 'sMr Charles - behavior. If he had
only had the sense to keep silence, his
!, awkward habit of putting his knife in
his mouth and the innumerab.e social
solecisms he committed might have es-
capped notice; but, whether from ex-
treme nervousness or from the idea
that he ought to assert himself, he per
| sisted in talking loudly to every one,
and every word he uttered was a fla
grant offense against good taste and the
Queen Eng ish. Lord LydbrOOk was
+ in his wickedest mood, and, to his
] cic q nv
drawing out the unsophisticated guest.
, Affecting a deep interest in the young
mans opinions on all subjects, his
Lordship mercilessly caused him to
r betraY his ignorance, his innate vulgar
itv, and his coarseness of mind with
hideous distinctnesS. Flattered by the
notice he received, " Mr.. Charles
soon became Extensively familiar, and,
as dinner proceeded with, showed
symptoms of intoxicatiOn. He grew
quarrelsome and noisy, contradicted
J Lady Julia, let fall an oath, Cor which
, he had sense enough to apOlogize), and
even snubbed Eva herself when she at
? tempted to restrain him. The unfort-
innate girl sat upon thorns the whole
{ evening, and never felt so bitterly
, Inundated in her life But she was too
| proud and too loyal to desert her lover.
and, though ineXpressibly shocked by
+ the exhibition he was making of him
self, she addressed her conversation to
! him, and did her best to smooth matters
: over. Her uncle was so touched by her
) ardent distress that he signaled to Lady
| Julia to lead the way to the drawing
) room Immediately after dinner.
e Lord Lydbrook did not allow Mr.
l Charles to join the ladies in the
r drawing-room; in fact, the young man
| - -, lad
ETY.. With some difficulty he persuaded
f him to leave the house, and sent hin
Y back to the Three Cups " under the
escort of one of the stable-bOys. The
q look of intense relief upon his niece
face when the other gentlemen en-
: tered the drawing-r alone gave him
strong hopes as to the success of his
| experiment.
I But Lord Lydbrook was by no means
5 easy in his mind next morning when he
e awoke and reflected on what had
t passed. However upset his niece might
7 have been at the conduct of her lover,
. she was the sort of girl who would re-
= venge herself on her relatives for the
1 humiliation she had suffered by marry
e ing the man in spite of everything. His
q lordship was, therefore, more disguised
: than surprised when his Wallet brought
him the news that the house was in
= commotion. because Miss Eva had dis
r appeared, and was supposed to have
/ run away in the night.
v