The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-09-16

"Tm called" said the voice of Mrs
Primmins, ''my summons has come I"
''Oh, the devil :" cried Tom, lost to all
sense of the importance OF coneiliaUing
the nurse go to bed Hold on until
morningw
In the morning Tom, who, happy fellowl
always slept soundest under a sense OF de-
preston, did not make his appearance IN
til nine o'clock. He found that Mrs. PriTn-
Minis had actually disappeared for parts
unknown. In the aims OF his hitherto
stern lapdlady he found his charge nest
| ling. A new light-that of love-was
beaming in the solemn woman's eye-that
woman, thought Tom, who would see any
one of her boarders staIve and rot for ten
cents a day saved He looked at his little
responsibility with a feeling of awe, al
most a suspicion of vitchcrait 1t is Gus
tomary TO shake the head, and wonder at
the amazing Providence that sometimes re-
moves mother and throws young infant
upon the charity of others Why lot also
consider reverently the innate instinct of
motherhood that rises in every female
heart at sight of baby SO bereavedi
81 have undertaken, said the landlady,
| giving Tom a smile such as he had never
dreamed could rest on her features. 81
have undertaken to go with you in search
of Mrs. Primmins' niece, Malviny ]"
Several hours later, Tom Collins sprang
from light wagon in which hs had driven
to the door of pretty cottage.
1--WE Will make one last effort by inquir-
ing here" be said to his landlady, who
held the baby.
With his usual impetuosity he pushed
directly through into the little rear kitch-
en-. There, he forgot his errand, forgot
everything except what ne saw. young
girl, plump, neat, and rosy, stood, with
round arms barred, before q table. She
was assiduously occupied in caressing, with
her white hands, little humps of dough into
shape. Then she placed them in rows in
big black pan. For moment she did not
see Tom. He, unreasoning, inpuisive
fellow, forgot his errand-forgot every
thing, in short, and began envying those
Jumps of dough. He felt lnstinctively
that he, toe, possessed great capacity for
being moulded by some such hands as
those.
Suddenly she turned. Such dimpling
smile such rosy embarrassnen ent Tom, !
great black-haired, ietty-eyed giant that be !
was, thought this little plump blonde an
angel Thought why ne was sure of it |
After a willie he came partially to his |
senses, and said, '1'm looking for ore
Malyina Barker"
"And that is me, :" said the rosy Iirs.
'Then I've brought you a baby" he said
abruptly.
A good deal of astonishment can be put |
into a pair Of bright blue eyes without |
spelling them-and so there was. Fortu-
nately, at this point thelandlady appeared, |
and SO, & moment later, aid MalviHa's |
mother, called up from the cellar by the
voices.
Negotiations were soon completed.
Tom again in his little room, found it
the loneliest. dreariest place he had ever
in his life looked upon.
a couple of days later he concluded that
it would be inhuman not to goI and inquire
after his little charge. In an incredibly
short space of time ne was seized with the |
same impression again. Then he went to
take to baby, who had not yet learned that
the moon is more distant than the docr-
knob, box Of geographical blocks. Then
he went to enquire if it needed pocket
money; and lie told Malvina that he knew
she was not kept awake nights with it, be-
cause her eyes were so bright.
This time MalYina's mother told Tom
that Of course they were very plan people,
aud not fit associates for young ''Gent"
like him, but that if he wished to stay,
there was plenty ofstra1berries and cream
for tea.
Tom stayed, and after tea the moon
came out. Oh that wicked, shameless
moon Tom, by its light, told AIalvina
night out that her eyes were bluer than
Heaven-her lips sweeter than roses-and
all that. !
When they parted, Malvina went to her
room and cried.
What could such perfect king of man
mean by talking like that to her? OF
course, he could not mean TO marry little
school mistress only home on a vacation !
Tom acted queerly, too, when alone in
his room. He took a pencil and paper,
and figured and calculated. He made
list of all the little properties he possess
ed. He added them up and he added
them down. Then he set down q list Of
all the things he was accustomed to spend
money upon that could be dispersed with.
Then he brought out book on economy,
where it tells how a man can live cheaper
with frugal wife than he can alone. He
was astonishcd to find that book so in
tensely interesting
The next day Tom went to see the baby.
In fact, it had seemed to him as though
the afternoon never would come. He had
more waiting 10 do at the cottage, for NAL
yina's mother received him, and she did
not appear. At last his impatience spur
red him 10 ask.
'I don't want you 10 see her again,
young man. Will be frank with you and
tell the TRUTH
"Oh ! Mrs Barker" cried Tom.
'She's simple child. sir, and is in dam
ger rot TO Un> erstand that attentions from
one like you can mean nothing"
Dear Mrs. Barker, you mistake me en-
tirely. 1 must see her this once. must,
indeed If she sends me away, viii
never come again."
Tom conquered. When he explained to
Malvina about his small income aud con-
suited with hIr abouts its insuf1iciency, |
she told him that he ought to be ashamed |
indeed to waste such heaps of money on
ore. He should have sent half to the |
heatben.
Toms income has TINS far held out bet |
ter than when he was single. Young men, |
49,