The Chilhowee echo. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1899-19??, 1899-10-28

memory OF some news Sne
has heard this afternoon.
She has been numbered among the
fashionably bored guests who have lis
tened to wearisOme chaos of sounds
politely called classical music" and
partaken of stuffy salads and watery
punches, after which they had pushed
and crowded around their hostess to
congratulate her upon the charming
musicale she had given to her friends,
and compliment her on the decorations
which most of the women had been crit
icising during the most artistic feats of
the virtuosi. But, while Miss Barthe-
low had smiled, there was tempest in
her heart that was lashing itself into a
maelstrom of fully, growing blacker and
mightier as the seconds flashed tumult-
uously by.
Half an hour before, when unable to
tolerate terrible Rhapsodie Hongroise
that was sandwiched in between Con-
certo E minor and Fifth Symphony in
x, z, or something equally incompre-
hensible, she had gone into Mrs. Man
deville's little morning-roOm to escape
the heat and noise, and there she had
heard the news that had come with such
mind. The room adjoined Mr.. Mande-
ville's den and through the panels of
lace-like wood carvings came the hum
of mems voices as pannle ramqrs and
petit scandles were discussed between
the sips OF a Manhattan and the puffs of
a Havana or pipe. Miss Barthe-
lows thoughts were far away with her
betrOthed, who had just returned from
abroad, and her mind was in that state
of exuberant blissfulness that is possible
only to woman who lives in the para
disical period elapsing between the be-
trothal and the wedding. She was OBJ
livious of their conversation until the
name of her fiance was mentioned
loudly by one of them and, before she
knew it, he uttered words that doomed
her entire future, and cast all her hopes
into purgatorial abyss of despair.
"By Jove," calculated one of them as
he snapped match and threw himself
back in chair; "Carter Merrill has a
good thing coming over soon! swear
all the men will be crazy with envy
Do not say anything about it-he is go
ing to spring her as grand surprise or
everyone"
"What do you mean?" drawled his
companion as he mixed another life-ev
lasting.
"Pon my word, you are laggard a
news! The Lady Mildred, of course
Thought all the fellows at the clut
knew! He is going to bring her ovel
from England-actually took her ava!
from the English people-just listen tt
his last letter!-written from Liverpoo
before he sailed. never heard sucf
enthusiasm in my life!"
She heard the soft rustic of thin for
eign paper, and heard him knock tn,
ashes out of his pipe preparatory t.
reading, but she was too paralyzed will
amazement and apprehension to move
before he continued:
"Where the deuce is the placer. -.
$3.50. oh, here it isl. writing
so confounded bad, can only read scraps
.......... You just ought to see her
old fellow! I have lost my head ant
heart over her beauty, and when bring
her to America she will set you al
wild. Such trim, dainty limbs yO,
never saw anywhere, and she has tn,
softest, finest skin | ever put my hand
on. Swift as Western cyclone, ant
Just the article to carry the town b,
storm. OF course, there were innumer
able obstacles to surmOunt before cOul'
get pOssession-these English bulldog
do not easily give up their pets-bu
such superb creature is worth all tn
trouble and annoyance to which fellow
could be put. Cost me a devilish BIZ
pile, can tell you, but the pleasure
shall have in the future will more than
--er-er-I'll be hanged if can tel
what this is! Er-'I hope to have he
follow me in few weeks, and then yo
can see for yourself what old Englan
can produce. always thought that W
had the best in America, but Nv
changed my mind since came over thi
time. shall rid myself of the-er-ol
one, just as soon as arrive, but as tn
poor thing will grieve herself to deaf
when she sees her successor, | wis
some of you fellows would take her o
my hands. OF course, everybody wi
be surprised, because always swore b
the old girl and vowed she was the only
-something-can't make it out-h
did not know how to spell it, for all th
letters are jumbled into one-'but sine
I've seen this new hearty, I've no us
for the other now. BY the way, he
name is Lady Mildred, but call he
Dolly for convenient brevity.''
Miss Barthelow buried her head
the cOnchoid OF sofa-pillows, and presse