The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1871-03-23

pOssessiOn of my home, that-hr be-
stOwal of nv garments. Then, with
| a ioyful fftful cry of HRichard, darling,
| to think it should be true, and am /
your wife ," / 90 about my work,
sing gayIy as a lark, ''the melody of a
heart content"
''Dame Trot," said Dick to me one
evening late in October. 81 wish ]
could go in for this competition at
Philadelphia. It would be thousand
dollars in my pocket to begin with, if
my designs are accepted, and the COM
mission on the building besides, to say
nothing of other work following it."
"What is it, old man ?" I asked
resting my chin on his shoulder as he
sat leaning on the table.
"Why, this, don't you see ," point
ing to a circular letter he had received
inviting architects to furnish plans
for a certain public building.
''Well, why don't you go in? OF
course you can cut the old stupids out
in minute" I said, confidently.
'I've no objection to try and ac-
eomplish that desirable end, certain
": but how the dickens are we to live
in the meantime? It will be six
weeks hard labor to get out the plans,
and ! shan't be making a cent, and
I've lust got twenty-five dollars in the
world at present" And Dick cram
med his hands into both pockets with
a long and dubious whistle.
Chow lucky resisted that black
silk last June r' and slyly unfasten-
ing from the bosom of my dress, where
I had kept il pinned all this time for
safety, the little chamOis bag, I held
it demurely before his eyes, saying,
'iSmalI contributions thankfully re-
ceived, I suppose"
'tWhy, Dame TrOt, what's this ?''
and unfastening the strings, five shin
ing eagles are poured out on the table.
'.Fifty dollars where did you get it?
"Conjured it, of course; don't you
know Pm a fairy ?"
"NO-but seriously"
I curled my 9rms about his neck
and told him the story of poor fathers
little legacy, and how had saved half
for some good use.
"Oh, my pet! my darling Al
your money that you have saved SO
long I can't take ii from you, little
birdie.n
tNonsenseI | I saved it for you. Be
sides, Iconsider it is a very good spec
ulation to make a thousand dollars
out of fifty"
nBut if / lose the competition ?n
tYou won't lose it. I know you
will win it for me, Dick, because"
and here with a crimson face and the
smallest mewlet of voice. I whisper
something in his ear which makes
him start, and his brown eyes flash
with joy and triumph. Their he takes
me very closely to his heart, saying in
low, broken voice, half pain, half
exceeding love, HGpd bless my dar-
ling! God keep her, and" long 81
lent kiss finished the sentence.
l think we both worked at those
drawings. Day after day, for a long
six weeks, when housewOrk was end
ed, I drew my chair beside Dicks, and
sat perched there with my feet on the
rug, after the fashion of little people,
watching him, and silently praying
for his success; as line upon line, first
rough sketch, then careful elevation,
section and ground plan, and lastly,
the finished perspective drawing, elab-
orately worked up and cOlOred, ,emerg-
ed from under his practised hand. Pm
sure he couldn't have thought harder
or more over those famous plans than
l had.
Then came a week-two weeks-Of
breathless suspense, for me at least;
and then, one joyous afternoon, when
Dick, who had gone out looking hag-
gard and anxious, came flying up
stairs and into the sitting room, wav-
ing slip of paper, and shouting
"HuZza, ~ like any schOOlbOy.
"Huzza with all my heart ~ cried,
laughing at his enthusiasm. "What's
up?"
"Read that, Just ~ and the slip of
paper was tossed over to me. looked
it was a telegram from Philadel-
phia.
"Your design is accepted, The Com
mittee will write you tomorrow to
come on. Congratulate you my old
boy" It was signed by an old friend
of my husbands of whom he had Of
ten spoken. "Oh, let US be joyful, F"
said I; and catching Dicks hands, we
| INDUCED in wild carmagnole about
the sitting-room, and stopped at last
breathless with laughter and singing.
"WOn't we go on together, though J"
said Dick eXultingly. sit shall be
your wedding tour, Dame Trot.
You're looking pale, my darling; the
change will do you good. Come, what
| do you say to driving out? This
ought to be a red-letter day for my
little patient birdie. She has been so
wonderfully helpful-such good lit
tie wife"
We went. In three days we had
locked up our wee house in dingy st.
Thomas's Buildings, and started joy
ously on our journey through the gOl-
den Indian Summer weather.
The great building was founded; its
massive walls began to rise slowly
from the ground. As Dick predicted,
/ other business quickly followed to the
4 successful man, as-is usually the case
i in this world; and now a new spirit
began to show itself in my ever gay
companion. He had always been in
/ dustrious, now he bent to his work
with savage energy; he spared hardly
an hour in the day for his meals; he
sat up working till two or three
O'clock in the morning-lOng after he
I had sent me to bed. The more work
he had, the more he sought after
eagerly, hungrily. He no more whis-
tied and sang over his drawing-roOm
desk; when he did allow himself any
rest on the week days, and all day
Sunday, he would lie apparently quite
astonished on the pretty green couch
we had added to our modest furniture
his eyes closed and his face very
pale.
"DOn't work so hard, my darling" "
l said TO him one winter evening,
when, quite worn out, he had thrown
himself down after dinner, and as he
often did now, begged me to turn the
light as low as possible. "Why should
we be in such haste to get rich?
would hundred times rather live in
my sky parlor ten years TO come than
have you wearied out like this. And
am sure you will injure your eye:
with so much fine drawing"
"Who told you anything allied my
eyes?" he asked hastily, almost an
grily.
mo one-only the light seems II
trouble you" --
Nonsense, Dame Trot! Don't have
such ridiculous faneies. You ought
to cheer me up when am working
so hard-nOt discourage me with dole
full ideas.n
al did not mean to discourage yoJ
Dick please don't think So"
: "Then why do you talk in tina
! Il L