Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1860-06-12

gotten to post that letter?'
He threw on his hat and cloak, and
was off, Half-past ten again before he
returned.
"Halloo, Tom," I said, "you have
taken tolerably long time to post that
letter"
"No; I was up seeing my aunt"
"Oh, yes! by the way, is she better to-
night?'
3'Not decidedly SO. Rather worse [
should say, if anything"
"I'm sorry for that. Well, come and
let us have quiet pipe"
'sNot Tonight, thank you"
'What?" l exclaimed, in considerable
astonishment, for Tom smoked every
night with the regularity of clock work.
'Not smoke before going to bed?''
"No; [ find it's not agreeing with me.
I see Dr. Prout shows that it ruins the
constitution"
So Tom retired, and sat and smoked
alone, wondering whether Tom could be
insane, and where this extraordinary
change might be expected to end.
Next night [ was up making some ar
rangements with Fanny for our approach
ing marriage.
"Oh, Dick!' she said, "what merry
fellow Tom Pidger is!''
"Tom Pidger! where did you see him?"
.'Why, he took tea with us at Mrs.
Purdie's last night
"Mrs. Patterson you mean"
"Mrs. Purdies Royal Circus. Julia,
you know, was school companion of
mine. We had such fun breaking the
pipes in Toms pocket; and at last Julia
made him go down on his knees and
promise that he would never smoke
again"
"AhP' said 1, as the secret Of Toms
metamorphosis, and the illness of his
aunt CD began to dawn upon my mind;
chow does Tom come to know Julia?"
''He met her in the train coming from
Glasgow some weeks ago, and fell in love
with her, 1 suppose, and she-( but you
must not tell him, remember)-she fell
in love with Tom. Poor thing, she loves
him to distraction, I believe. O! Tom
is there almost every afternoon.
This was precious news. Keeping it
to myself, however, I went home, and
found Tom sitting ruminating over the
| fire.
''Ah, Toni said I, II thought I
should have caught you smoking
"No, Dick, you won't do that again.
[ find" he said, gravely, tapping him
self all over the waistcoat, "that l am
better without it already"
Dear me, already! Then DR.. Prout
must be quite correct. Oh! by the way,
[ have sad news for you tonight"
"What?' inquired Tom, with a very
long face.
Il hear. that your amt is dead!'
''Eh?'' cried Tom, wheeling round on
his chair, and fixing upon me look of
curious surprise, which is quite indie
scribable
"Dead and gone, Tom, is your poor
aunt-your mothers sister, you know!
Mrs. Patterson-not Miss Purdie-oh,
no!'
You should have seen Toms face all
this time. Shame and merriment, curl
osity and chagrin, chased each other of
and on SO rapidly that they sometimes
appeared to be all mixed up in the same
expression. At last the ludicrous pre-
vailed, and Tom broke into shouts OF
laughter which it would have done your
heart good to hear. He looked very red
in the face, though, being clearly good
deal ashamed of himself He made me
tell him how the secret had come out
and finding that it really was out, he be-
came quite gushing, He made me sit by
him at the ireside, and gave me minute
and circumstantial account of the whole
transaction-how his returning by ex.
press from Glasgow he found himself il
the same carriage with fine old gentle
man and his daughter-"such beauti
full girl, Dick!'-and he and the ole
gentlemen conversed, ami she listened
listened with such interest that he
thought within himself, "Well, here is {
sensible girl for once" Then how the
old gentleman ensconced himself in {
corner and fell asleep, and Tom founc
that he could not keep his eyes off the
young lady-"the most beautiful girl
Dick" more than that, he caught
her every now and then peeping silly al
him, and when he caught her, how sh'
blushed! "And [ do believe, said Tom
"that I blushed, too, I felt such a-sor
of funny all over, you know" said Tom
with an explanatory wave of his hands
Then how the old gentleman woke vi
when the tickets were called for, ant
chatted again, and presently discovered
to the surprise and delight of all parties
that he and Toms uncle-not Mr.. Pat
terson, but real uncle this time-hat
served together in India. So he mad
Tom shake hands with his daughter, ant
gave Tom his card, and told him to cal
whenever he happened to be in tn
neighborhood of Royal Circus. Ton
then proceeded with the subsequent de
tails, which he had got about half Wa.
through, when [ prevailed upon him t
stop, for the time being, in consideration
of the extreme lateness Of the hour.
, was actually past two in the morning.
''Now, tomorrow" said Tom, as W
t parted for the night, eve might call to
gether and see Julia You will be sur
q to like her, she's such beautiful gir
: Dick"
Next day we did call, and Julia turne
! out to be really most beautiful girl.
J don't think | have ever seen sweete
> little girl-Fanny, of course, excepted
, The week after Fanny and were mai
ried. and left town on our marriag
jaunt.
;, III.-A DIFFICULTY SATISFACTORY
OVERCOME.
: The morning following our return
had a note from Tom, stating that /
: would call that afternoon on particuli
business. mentioned it to Fanny, WI
= laughed and appeared to know intuitivel
what this every particular business wa