The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-10-04

dolorously, striving, but with indillor.
ent success, 10 start tear.
al only mean" said Flora "that rs
your heart has stood the strain for
years, it can probably hold out fort
night longer; and / must ask at least so
much time TO consider your most uneX-
pected question.
"You will consider it, then, and In
two weeks give me an answerV cried
| Nimrod in transport OF hope.
"Yes, If you will keep in the same
mind till then"
It'll them" he exclaimed with fer
vor. "Aye, till then, and forever!'
Very well, Mr.. Odlin," said Flora
quietly, pointing to chair. Nov,
don't you think you had better take an
easier position. You must be quite UNI
comfortable thore."
Nmrod looked a little sheepish, and
took the offered seat.
Ibid you ever meet my Cousin Beat
rixP" asked Flora, changing the sub
ject.
No; Nimrod had never had that
| pleasure.
"She's to be at Aunt Hephzbahs in
a day or two. | should be pleased to
introduce you, but she and | haven't
| spoken together of late. However, that
needn't stand in the way You know
aunte very well, and if you call, she'll
be sure to present you to Cousin Beat
rix. She's not reckoned bad looking if
she has red hair-though, for that mat
ter, she has money enough to make it
pass for golden. Why, she has fully as
much rs | have in ready cash, aud is
| down in aunte's will for her whole for
tune, which is at least as much more "
Nmrod was beginning IN earnest
| speech expressive of contempt for riches
where the heart is concerned, and his
| firm belief that chestnut-Fl0ra' S curls
were chestnut-was the original color
of human hair. in mans perfect estate,
and that all other shades are perycr-
sions resulting from the Fall-but / To-
ra cut his disQuisition short by ask Nc
TO be excused on the score of pres3.ag
engagement, and Mr. Odlin took his
leave, promising to return at the end OF
two weeks.
Three days afterwards, our friend
MIN made friendly call on Aunt
Hephzibah, and was formally intro.
duced to her niece, Miss Bcatrix Tayi-
stock, who had only arrived the day
before
Miss Tavistock, as Flora had said,
was not bad-looking girl. She was
about her cousins age, to whom in
features and expression, she bore
strong family resemblance. But her
hair!-carrotyP - why carrots would
have paled before it. 1t was so fiery
a red that it fairly made Nimrod's eyes
water.
But as he thought of her twenty thou
sand in possession. and another twenty
thousand in expectancy, and heard
Aunt Hephzbah's hacking cough, the
effect of the hair began to wear off, and
was quite forgotten at the end of half
an hour, which sufficed to reveal the
fact that Miss Tavistock was altogether
the most engaging young lady he had
ever met.
Nimrod repeated the visit the next
day, and the next, and for many sue
ceeding days, and at every visit found
Miss BeatriX more charming than ever.
Her treatment of him was decidedly
more encouraging than Flora's had
ever been. Indeed he had not little
ingratiated himself by rather more than
halfway Ginning in with some not very
iiattering criticisms of her cousin, in
dulged in by Miss Tavistock.
1t lacked but day of the expiration
Of the two weeks. BY this time Nimrod
had reached the conclusion that some
shades of red were not inferior to chest
nut especially when backed by the odds
OF forty thousand dollars against twenty,
lie was furthermore convinced that
II he popped the question to Beatrix he
wouldn't have to wait two weeks for an
answer, that when it came there would
be no danger of its being no.
But Nimrod was n prudent man. His
proposal to Flora, while it remained un-
answered, was, of course, subject to
Withdrawals; and to withdraw it might
avoid many future complications. And
as no time was to be lost, he sat down
at once and addressed q letter to Flora.
We shall not give it uerbdtim, having
no wish to furnish form for the use OF
other tickle lovers. Enough to say, it
was perfect model of the backing-out
letter, full of lying excuses and broth
erly profession of everlasting friendship.
Now for the fair Beatrix!n was
Nimrod's exultant ejaculation, as he
hied his steps to Aunt llephzibah'S door.
But why unnecessarily prolong our
story? The scene that followcd--up to
. certain pont-was an exact repeti-
ton of the one before described. MINI
' rod had gone through it 50 many times
that there is no danger of his "stick-
y ing He sank again on the same knee,
9 seized Bcatrix's hand, and, in the same
', tone, made the same speech.
AT the words, "Will you be mineP Do
!, not break my heart by saying no!' he
=. bowed his head meekly, like a supplant
" awaiting the answer wherein hangs life
or death As we have said, Nimrod
:, had been through it all before, and
y knew his part thoroughly.
He waited, but the answer did no,
come. he felt convulsive tremor of
'. the hand held in his. Doubtless Beatrix
y was too agta,od to speak. He ventured
v to look up, started back, lost his bal
N n..I I..ll -. -.