Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-02-02

favorable answer. The plain question
| is, will you marry me, Tom Brookshank
VI. D., aged forty-two "a man, though
say. II. who won't make . bad husband, q
husbands Co."
The widow looked down, and twistet
her handkerchief around her fingers, plat
ing it in knots upon her lap, but did no
reply.
out of the window. Then he said: Par
don me; am too lates Is there q prio'
attachment
Without venturing reply in speech
| Mrs. Wimbush bowed her head.
Mr.. Tom slowly gathered together hB
| hat, his stick, and his gloves, and went Ou.
"Confound that brother of mine." said be
to himself when he got into the street;
always supplanting me-"
CHAPTER Nv.
1t was a large picnic party. Mr.. Charles
Brookshank had drawn Mrs. Wimbush's
arm through his own, and strolled away
from the rest.
How delightful it would be if one
could know the language Of birds, as
folks did in the old Hindu fairy tales
Would it not, Mr.. Brookshank!'
my dear Mrs. Wimbush, they do moth.
ing the whole day long but make love and
cry Sweet! SWEET l would were q
bird, to make love in music"
The widow sighed but 1t was more like
pur Of pleasure. 6lf{ al
what did know of love till you came
herep" continued Mr.. Charles. "Abso-
lutely nothing-except." he added, with
reservation, in professional way. And
then the lawyers generally see the dark
side of the picture-the damages and the
DEGREES nisi. But your visit has brighten
ed nv whole life. o, Mrs. Wimbush, you
cannot have been blind to my secret! You
have seen it written legibly in my face,
and have not interposed to check its de
velopment. see you understand me, just
as by intuitive fine feeling you penetrate
the meaning Of MendelssOhn's songs with
out words. Mrs. Wimbush. you. have al
ready far advanced toward learning the
birds language. may rely upon your con-
senti"
Charles, this happiness is indeed too
much" CALCULATED the widow.
"You may never be separated from your
daughter Carry A home for one is home
for both; and will cherish her while l
live"
But, Charles dear, she may marry"
Marry, ma am Bless my soul, OF course
she will She will marry me! She has said
so, don't you see?"
Mrs. Wimbush never said another word,
but fell fiat down upon the grass.
What on earth has got the woman? 2"
thought Mr. Charles. "She couldn't have
taken 1t worse if ! had proposed to mV-
der her daughter"
In their walk they had strayed through
the trees close to the outskirts of another
picnic party. Mr.. Charles Immediately
ran TO ask some fair volunteer TO come to
the assistance Of Mrs. Wimbush, who had
tainted AT hearing the name an active
middle-aged lady sprsng up and followed
him. 1t was Mrs. Marrables. The sight of
her mother brought Mrs. Wimbush round
quicker than any smelling bottle could
have done. She sat up.
Mother, Mr.. Brookshank; Mr.. Brook
shank, my mother, Mrs. Marrables." They
bowed "Have the goodness to leave us
together, Mr.. Charles" He bowed and
obeyed. "Mother" said Mrs. Wimbush,
"what on earth brought you here? l
thought you were at Taunton"
"No, dear have been at Bournemouth
three weeks. I came merely for change.
Only last week heard of your being here,
and should have called, but have been SO
occupied, and felt sure of meeting you
somewhere, and thought the surprise might
he the more agreeable. We've had q most
delightful picnic with the Mountstewart
folks. But what was all this fainting
about9 One. would think Mr.. Brookshank
had been proposing to you"
He certainly made me proposal,
mother, but was quite unprepared for it,
and was overcome"
"What an imaginative and sensitive
minded girl you must be, Matilda! You
make me feel quite yourg. When will
you be old enough to attend to business!
You will accept him. Of course? Well, do
as you please you have my consent you
know. But must get back to my party,
and Perhaps you had better rejoin yours.
Ta-td"
Tilted tor her daughter! 1t wasn't pleas
ant. When Mrs. Wimbush got home she
blew up Garry for being SO sly.
swell, mamma" said Garry, of course
thought you knew all about it. | never
made any secret of the affair l knew
very we'll that you had rejected Mr.. Tom,
but could not possibly suppose that was
any reason why should refuse Charles.
OF course he Is older than am, but he Is
only five-and thirty, and has good posi-
ton and am sure we shall always give
you welcome; Charles says So"
"Well," thought Mrs. Wimbush, he
has money, and 1t will be all in the family ;
that at least comfort"
CHAPTER v.
The effect of the little episode of the
last chapter was that the brothers were
made friends, and Tom recovered his
spirits, and could laugh heartily at what he
had before supposed was his brothers r.
valry.
Mrs. Wimbush repented that she had
rejected Mr.. Tom. Her repentance produced
salutary desire on her part to make atone
ment for the past. She would have him
yet When widow says 80 much a. that
about man, let him +" ware hawk"
A month went by, and behold Mrs
Wimbush and Mr.. Tom Brookshank seated
tete-a.tete at the evening party, where the
music which was going on was sufficiently
loud to render private conversation inaudl
BILE save to those to whom 1t was addressed
ct Gaarv coid tho uyi1Ow affecting mr.