Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1862-11-06
(From the New York Ledger)
Mary Thorne's Cousin.
" Mary, | am astonished !"

| lSneu. Ill lFulu, anu III lacC, Sle IlVeQ IN q
chronic state of amazement for Mary Thorne
was always doing something to astonish her
| friends and relatives Miss Ruth could hard
! y credit the evidence of her own senses, in
| the haZy glow of the August morning. when
! she came out Of the clematiS shadows Of the
| little south porch, and discovered that yonder
moving object, half way up among the umbra-
| geous branches of the huge old pear tree, was
not spray of leaves, nor yet russell. .pumed
robin, nor a cluster OF Suncheeked pears swing
ing in the blue empyrean, but-MisS Mary
! Thorne comfortably perched in tie crook Of
the gnared tree, her curIS all 1ecked with the
sifted rain of sunshine that came down through
the shifting canopy OF leaves, and book in
her lap.
Il don't care y said the little damsel, laugh,
ing saucy defiance :" us the incest place in
the world up here feel just like "a bird,
with the leaves Auttering against my face and
/ the wind blowing so softy-and | intend to
stay here. Wouldn't you ike to come up here,
RGlhy? It's easily done just put your foot on
! that knot, and-"
/ Ra;b, who was thirty, ana weighed a hun
drcd and sixty pounds, bristIed rp with amaze
ment
Mary Thorne, are you crazy? Come down
this instant :"
/ shan't," said naughty Mary, tossing the
silky shower Of curls away from her forehead,
and glancng down with eyes that shoue and
sparkIed like two Blue jewels.
Bat we are going"
Yes, | understand Iou are all going in
triumphul procession TO the depot, TO reudcr
an ovation to the great Professor La Place,
lie wiScst, sagest and graudeSt OF maokind,
to whom the Thorne family have the uuuttera-
bIe honor Of being second cousins, and 10 es-
corJ him soemuly to a mouths scj0urn at
Thorne Hall. O, dear ~ ejacuIated Mary,
| wish could RON away somewhere and hide
| hate this paragon of prim precision |
shant marry him if he asks, and | mean to
behave SO badly that he won't dream of it !"
No, am nat going with yon. | hate the close
barouchp, and its too warm to ride on horse
back | shall stay at home :"
And Miss Mary settled herself so snugty
with one tiny SIippered foot swinging down,
and her pretty head close to a nest of blue
spCckleI birds eggs, that Ruth gave it up
with a sigh Of despair.
"WeII then, have it your owo way, you in.
conigible romp! l wish you weren't TOO big
to he shut up in a dark closet Or have your
ears well boxed y
1t is a pity, isn't it," said Mary, demurely.
"Of course it is, Mary if Cousin Tom
Bradley comes this morning, be sure and ex-
plain to him why we are absent, and behave
ike a young lady, mind !"
All right said Mary dauulIessly. "I
always liked Tom ! we used to have grand
romps together when we were children"
She sat there in the old pear tree, prettier
than any Hamadryad that ever might have
haunted the messy old veteran of the garden,
hcG check touched With sunshine aud carmiue,
her dimpled lips apart, now reading "a lne or
/ ,wo from the COX in her lap, now looking up,
rapt in grliSh reyere, into The blue sky as it
I sparked through ever moving leaves, ard now
! breaking into d soft little MARBLE Of song Hat
made the very robins themselves put their
/ heads to one side to listen. The carriage had
/ driven away long since-she bad watched it
/ beyond the curve OF the winding road ; the
dak mantle OF shadow was slowly following
! the creeping sun glow acre IS the velvet lawn
: below, aud the old church spre among the
( far,olf woods had chinlvd out eleven. Aud
! still Mary Thome sat there in the lOIkCd
! branches OF the giant pear tree
Suddenly there loated up into the 'eafy
sanctuary, Il puDgent, aromatic 0dOr which
| made her lean curiously forward shading her
eyes with one hand the better to penetrate
the green foliage below. Not the late month
Iy roses not the amethyst borders of hello
lrope, nor the spicy gerahiums, none of these
blossoms distilled that peculiar smell
My patience !! said little Mary, it's u
cigar"
A cigar it was, aud the owher thereof
she could just see a white linen coat and tall
head covered with black, wavy curs-s,ood
on the porch steps, quietly smoking, and in
dulging in q heightened view Of the garden
slopes.
That's Tom Bradley said Mary to her
self
Now, if he thinks I'm coming down out
of this delicious cool place to sit up straight
in the hot parors he's mistaken Tom y she
called out in silver accent of imperative sum
MONS and then burst into merry laughter at
the evident amazement with which the stran-
ger gazed round him. vainly trying to conjec
ture whence the call had proceeded.
| You dear, stupid Cousin Tom" she ejacu-
lated, don't stare off towards the cabbage
beds Look straight up here yoa may come
up if you please There's plenty Of room for
both. You are Cousin Tom, aren't you % she
continued, as sudden miSgiying crossed her
mind.
"Of course 1 am and you are Mary, | sup
pose ?"
Mary herself Upwith you, Ton-catch
hold of this branch-there Now shake hands
you saucy fellow, l didn't say you. might
kiss me !"
"Well, l couldn': help it--and besides,
aren't We cousins 7" said Mr.. Tom, swinging
himself comfortably into branch just above
Mary
Why, Tom, how you have changed !" cjac
ulated the young lady, pushing back the curls
with one hand, that she might the better view
her playmate of childhoods days Your
| knin rtnlr LIZ lot MI.