The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1869-12-03

OAOSSAu5 OfSA " cSASOlT dHO AO LUZ
ried to London at once, and brough
Annie to his Chinese home, with dis
1 patch and secresy. 81 am glad t
adopt you, my DEAR" he said, "but
do not want to adopt all your credi
tors"
: 1t had been a struggle to Mr.. John
stone to break up the ordinary rou
/, tine Of his existence by establishing
his niece as a mistress of what hat
|; now for years been bachelor home
but it almost always pays to do th,
right thing. aad he was rewarded fol
his conquest of habit aad indolence
by being released from the thrall o
! his housekeeper, tyrannical, stupid
pilifering, tippling dame, to whom b.
had not dared TO mention his inten
! tions with respect to Annie, which
indeed, had from the circumstances o
} / the case been necessarily conceived
and executed very suddenly, and up
on whom this niece of her master
(term of courtesy burst therefore
like a thunderbolt from clear sky
As Annie was very young aud quiet
in manner, Mrs. Gobble hoped at first
indeed, to overawe her, but soon find
ing that she was too much for her
and, combined perhaps with an inju.
dicious amount Of nodrishment
brought her gout to such a climax
that she could not even play at doing
her work, and had to retire.
! Annie's society had one curious eff
feet upon her uncle it resuscitated
all his hankerings after a second mar.
Iriage. For if-Ae was to have lady
at the head of his house, why, he rea-
sorel with himself, should it not be
a wife? So a Irritation which had
been budding between Mr.. Johnstone
and Miss Plumptree, of Southend, fol
the last three years, began to throw
out decided shots. 1t was not SC
very absurd. Mr.. Johustone was {
little over sixty, and Miss Plumptret
was a little over forty. Both were
comfortably off, and had calm and
sober leanings to matrimony. Mis-:
Miss Plumtree was not only forty,
but fair and fat-just such figure a:
the monarch of Mr.. Johnstone's sou
would have admired; and this fact
tended greatly to mature the flame
Then there was increased intimacy
for whereas he had only met her oc-
casionally before his neice came to
live with him, he now saw her almost
daily, fervent friendship having
sprung up between her and Annie.
They were sitting together now in
willow pattern summer-housc, on
the brink of a small pond, the lair of
dragon who was supposed to spout,
but who followed the example of
many gentleman who are elected into
certain House for aasimilar purpose,
and didn't. IL was in the strawberry
season, and a fine dish of the fruit
stood on the table between them.
with which, needle-work, and conf
Dental chat, they were beguiling the
morning not unpleasantly.
"And so you have never heard of
him since ?" said Miss Plumtree.
"Nsver." replied Annie"
"Just like all the men, dear; 90 ut
of sight, out of mind !"
"Nay, 1 do not blame him, poor
fellow. l do not see how he could
have found me out, if he tried ever
SO hard, L left SO suddenly, so mys-
teriously."
80, WE'LL" sighed Miss Plumtree,
"if he had been his great-grandfather,
he would have discovered you some
how; but young meu are not what
they were, they are so selfish, so list
less, everything is too much trouble
to them. And you never hint any
thing about it to your uncle ?"
80, no." said Annie; "beside he
does not take hints; you must speak
out plainly if you want him to under
stand your wishes.''
"Hum," said Miss Plumtree.
"And then," continued Annie, "he
was so young, and not in a position
to marry for ever SO long; and the
acquaintanceship was SO short; and
his friends would be sure to disap-
prove; so that altogether, perha ps, it
is better as it is.
"And do you love him still, dear ?''
"L think 1 do; he was kind, you
see, when 1 had no one else, and"
"There, don't cry, dear. Have a
strawberry"
Annie recovered her equilibrium,
and turned the subject. "I can't
think what has happened to Uncle
William" she said; "he does take
such a funny interest in how L look
all of a sudden. He takes a pa
per with the fashions in it, and stands
looking critically at me with his
hands ON one side, and his eyes
screwed up, for minutes together;
and then he walks round me grave
ly as if we're q horse; indeed, [ ex-
pect him to say, Come up; tuck, tuck;
come over 7 every moment, or to look
in my mouth. Aud if my hair is not
done, or my dress cut according to
the fashion plates he scolds me. And
then he takes me over to SoutheDd
whenever he hears that a packet is
coming in, and walks me up and
down that long pier And he is al
ways on the lookout for concerts or
entertainments of any kind we can
go to. Can you explain IT'D"
81 think can give a guess" said
Miss Plumptree; ain fact, L expect
that my influence may have some
thing to do with it. The plain truth
lis, my dear, that he wants to get you
married"
"Nor' cried Annie, with a jump.
"But he told me distinctly, when /
first came here, that, though 1 might
expect to be provided for in his will,
1 must not. look for any dowry, or
even much of trousset d, in case
were to marry; and that did not look
much like great anxiety on the sub
lject."
"No, dear; but his views bave un-
dergone a change. The fact is that
he does your humble servant the hon.
or to rish-"
40, and you will take him, won't
you? 1t will be so nice to call you
aunt, and have you living in the
house" cried Annie, enthusiastical-
ly.
swell, DEAR" continued Miss
Plumptree, sit seemed tos me that
the opportunity was 3 good enc for
advancing your interests, SO l refused
to give him definite answer while
you were unsettled; not but what
would sooner have you for compan-
ion, of course, but 1T does not do to
be selfish; and as your uncle is in
clined to be what We may call care
full in his money matters, which is
often the case with those who have
1 been Somewhat extTavaQapt in youth