The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-11-22
s9N BALLOON,

Mtg t..c question That hau been put !
him by one of our party. well,
= ou may Lc sure that she wasn't |
.hri.ancd So During the first three
years of her career wasn't very we'll
acquainted with her i'll fact, never
laid eyes on her. But until the end
of that period she was known us Rir-
die; SO I'm informed Birdie Tredloe
was her real name. III tell you how
she came TO be called Baby Bal
LOOM"
The young person to whom he re-
fcrred was lovely girl Of Is, with
dark hair. serious eyes, fresh healthy
color in her checks, and n 1.-the figure,
SO graceful and bouyant that you
might easily have expected her to
float away if a particularly strong
brcczo should happen to blow across
tho seaward looking veranda cf the
hotel at Refers Point, where VIC sat
talking. The idea that she might be
waited off by breeze would be cs-
. pecially apt to occur to you when you
saw her dancing III tho great parlor,
as she frequently did of evenings.
And rather thought that handsome
Joe yerrill zone Of our younger
fricntls), who danced with her u great
deal, would not havc objected to her
floating away if he could have been
allowed to float with her. To be
plain, Joe was in love with Miss Tired
1oc, or, as the colonel called her,
"Baby Balloon" Joe Tcrrill had
plenty of money, but ho was not salts
fled with that; lie wanted Miss Tired
loe as well. When ho did me the
honor to confide this to me one day, l
said to him, why in the world, then,
lcnt x-o,, oc1y how 10 rvv Won, ~
"Wcll," he replied, II don't feel at
all sure that she cares enough for Inc
to take me Just for myself. don't inn
aginc she would want mo just for my
money either The long and the short
of it is, | don't amount TO enough.
My money came to me by inheritance,
so that's nothing to my credit. And
Haven't donc anything Of Importance
in the world except just to be born and
to inherit this wealth. Now if had
only done somo great action or madc
a namo for myself, might possibly
expect to win her. My notion is she
wants hero. Oh, by Jove!-that's a
good idea. If could rescue her from
"a mad dog or an angry bull, Or save
her from drowning, then she'd be
sure to havo me-" - d. -s,ar-.
!rSS!:Ss appearance It is nheix
SAouSh W OO JuSof az u 11lOluSuL Wucn
we are notpreparedt to eopo with them!
So, not being cble to impress thesd
animals into his service, Terrill pen!
sistently took Miss Tredlae out sailing,
as If with view to some opportiind
marine disaster. ~It'was ,positiyely
amusing to notice how lo d6ggcrt hel!
footsteps with design oniher life
not tho design Of destroying it, but Of
preserving it, so that she might share
it with him. 80.
But to return to Col. Welsted. His
declaration that he had not known The
young lady for the first three yeats of
her existence, seemed rather strange,
considering that she looked upon him
as father, and that we oil considered
him In that light, Notwithstanding the
difference in their names: ,:Ho .cx-
planned this, however, in tho; course
narrate. That Story is the one / am
going to tell here.
Col. Jack Welsted was a tall, siuewy
man with gaunt cheeks, and had
long red mustacho that dropped and
slanted over tho corners of mis- mouth
like pennant hanging idly from the
staff on windless day. He was also cele-
brated as q crack rifle shot. He could
bring down almost anything on the
wing, and could hit all sorts Of marks,
Mt all ranges. But his certainty OF aim
with the rife did not seem to help him
when he came to love matters. He
failed to como anywhere near touching
the heart OF the lady whom he loved.
Evelyn Carter rejected him, and mar
I1ed another man, who was q great
deal handsomcr than the colonel, but,
regret to say, not nearly SO good.
'nl 4 =
travels, carrying his fire arms with
him. He made innumerable hunting
trips, and shot endless numbers of
deer rabbits, Rocky Mountain goats,
wild cats. ducks, prairie hens and even
alligators. For u long time it seemed
as If lie was trying to wreak on these
unfortunate creatures the disappoint-
ment Of his affections But alf 10 no
purpose. He could not forget Evelyn.
and SO far as he could see he was as
much in lovo with her as ever. Thus
it was that about four years after her
marriage ho came wandering down to
this popular sea- shore resort of
Refers Point where we were now
staying, and whero he now told us
the story. Lots of other people camo
there for their. health or for amuse-
ment. The colonel came because he
did not know what else to do; and al
though there was not much shooting
to be had at Refers, he was con,
stantly seen carrying his rifle about
with him, in tho crowds about tho |
hotel, or along the lonely beaches, or
in the boat which he hired Ben Piver
tostsail for him up and down and
across the inlet, or sometimes well out
to sea-, People laughed at him little,
good naturedly, for Juggling the gun
with him on all occasions. But he
waagreatly attached to it. He was a
GnSS a aoa the %he1 1 Ss Ma1 WIS prn ri
romantic mood no would pat the stock
or the fine twist" barrel Of the gun