The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1862-12-04

ger eazed round him, vaiuly trying to
conjecture whence the call had proceeded.
You dear, stupid Cousin Tom" she
! calculated ''don't stare off toward the
cabbage beds! Look straight up here
.you may come up if you please. There S
plenty Of room for both. You are Cousin
Tom, aren't you?" she continued, as a
sudden lnisgiving crossed her mind,
''Of course L aun land you are Mary,
suppose"
/ MARY herself Up with you, Tom
/ catch hold Of this branch-there. Now,
shake hands-you saucy fellow, I didn't
/ say5ou might kiss me -
/ well 1 couldn't help it-and besides
aren't we cousins ?" said Mr. Tom, swing
lug himself comfortably into branch just
above Mary.
"Why, Tom, how you have changed. "
calculated the young lady, pushing back
the curls with one hand, that she might
the better view her playmate OF child
hoods days. 'EYGur hair never curled so
before aud what u nice moustache you've
got / shouldn't have known you,
Tom"
"No,' said Tom, roguishly.
"a nd you've grown so tall ! [ declare,
Tom, you re splendid"
The gentleman laughed. "I could re-
turn the compliment if | dared But
here are all the rest Of my relations p
The house below is az enlpty as haunted
hall :"
"AlI gone to welcome that hor.id, poky
old Prof. La Place, who has graciously ia.
dicated his willingness to pass few
weeks with US. Tom, l do hate that
man :"
Hate him! what for ~
ooh, | doa't know; I'm sure no is a
snuff dried, conceited old wretch, and I'll
wager box OF gloves that lac wears spec
faclas"
Nonsense, Mary; why, he's only twcn-
ty-six -
II don't care; know he's rheumatic
and wears spectacles for all that. Aud,
To5n, now If you'll never, never breathe a
word ct this"
81 wont, upon my honor" said Tom.
''We ell, then, papa has actually got the
idea into his dear old head that | should
make nice wife FOR the professor, aud
Mary turned away, with crimson indigna-
tion flashing in her checks
o.; is too bad for you TO laugh, Tom.
/ never, 3eUer will marry that man -
Il wouldn't if | were YOU" consoied
Tom. '.But, cousin Mary, wait and see
the man before yon decide lie may be
quite a decent fellow"
"No." said Mary, shaking her head and
biting her cherry lips firmly, II hate him
beforehand !"-
':'Yhat a spiteful little pussy you aren
said her companion, laughing
NO, indeed, Tom, I'm not :" and the
5lue eyes became misty ''T love papa
and 5fpsh dearly-and | ,oye almost ev-
cry bdty like you, Tcyn, but [ hate
Prof. La Place. And want you TO prom-
Use, Tom, that you'll stand my friend, and
not allow him 10 tease me into walks or
rides, or. tetc a-tetes Of any kind. VIII
you?'
Would he? IF she had asked him TO
precipitate himself out OF the pear tree
upon the stone steps below, with those
blue eyes fixed on his, he'd have done it.
Any mao of taste would
''I promise :" he said and they shook
hands on it.
What a cosy place for chat that old
gnaried tree was. Md when they had
talked over everything they could think
OF, it was the most natural thing in the
world that Tom should recover the book
that had slipped down into network Of
tiny bouehs, and read poetry to his pretty
cousin in the deep musical voice that
maidens love to listen to. Aud Mary sat
there watching the Setty curis blowing to
and fro On his broad white brow, and
the long black lashes almost touching his
olive check. And she thought how very,
very handsome cousin Tom was, and how
much he had changed in tie ten years
that had elapsed since she had seen him
last; and she wondered whether Tom was
engaged tosany pretty giil-somehow she
hoped not Now, why couldn't Tom have
been rich like that Prof. La Place, instead
of a poor young medical student, and
Ard when the large black eyes were
suddenly lifted TO hers, Mary felt as tho
he had read every thought of her mind,
and blushed scarlet.
'sCousin Tom," she chattered, to hide
her confusion, ''we've been up here long
enough. Help me down, and i will show
you the old sun-dial that we used to heap
up with buttercups when we were chjl-
dren"
What tiny, insignificant little Mary
she felt herself, leaning on the arm OF that