The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1873-06-04

'You can dance, if you're ready
to pay the piper" she said, shortly.
'And, pray, how soon do mean TO
be- married p ...,.-i 5s.E
Toms face fell q little at this
question. ,,.,2. @.. ,...
well" )" said he, 4 cant say ex-
actly. [ suppose we shall have to
be engaged first ',''',i<
'What!' said mother opening her
eyes; s.why, you never mean to
say, Tom, you. haven't spoken to
her YETI -.
Not yet,' answered Tom, cheer
fully. thine enough for that, you
know, after I had spoken to you.
Mother, as a minister's widoE,
was not much given. to the idle
milth that is as the cracking OF
thorns under a pot, but now she
lca6cd back and laughed till the
tears stood in her eyes.
.9JVell,' she said. if it was any
body else, I should say he was was
cracked; but you never were like e,
other people, and you never will
be, Tom Dean. But, at least, you
.hava fixed on the lady p
.,Oh, yes. answered Tom; ""hut,
if spu will excuse me, Aunt Anne,
I would rather not say anything
about her just yet; for, if-lf any
thing should happen, it wouldn't
be Hleasant for either party, you
know With which yelled allusion
to his possible rejection, Tom took
his bat, and left the room.
Our household was rather queer.
ly put together. There was no
particular reason why I should
have been of it at all !; for 1 was
not really related to Tom, nor even
to mother as I called her, though
I am sure we were as dear to, each
other as any mother could be. She
wasthe second wife of my father.
who, like most ministers had been
richer in grace than goods. and had
left US at. his death with very little
to live on. Then it was that Tom
Dean had come forward, and insis-
ted on giving his home to his aunt
and to me, whom we had scarcely
seen a dozen times in his life be-
fore. That was exactly like Tom
-squeer Tom Dean,' as his friends
were fond of saying, who never
did anything like anybody else
I suppose, in spite of his clear head
for business, there is no denying
thathc was whimsical; but | AM
sure, when 1 think Of his unfailins
generosity. and delicacy, | cant
help wiishi, z there were a. few. more
suchwliimsical people in the world,
Naturally, at the time I am speak,
ing of, my opinion had not beer
asked; all I had to do was to SC
where mother went, and, while she
gave her. energies to the house:
Keeping, give mine to- growing up
which by this time | had pretty
we'll accomplished. But perhap;
for that very reason-for one see:
with different eyes at twelve and
eighteen-my position in the house
had already begun to seem unsat.
isfactory to me; and the mornings
words put it in a clearer light since
lie had been used as an argument
a gainst Toms marrying | knew
that mother had spoken honestly
believing that such step would
not be for his happiness but wa:
mot he the best jndge Of that?
knew him, if reflection should
bring him round to her opinion, 4tt
be perfectly capable Of quietly sac
rifcing his own wishes for my
sake, who had not the shadow of {
claim on him: so it must be my
part to prevent his own kindness
being tur"ed against him now
IStill it was not so easy to see how
was to provide for. myself, in: case
it should become advisable. Wha
could I do? Draw and sing ant
play tolcrably, but not in a manner
TO compete with the hosts tina
would be in the field against me
Literature? I had read SO man,
stories whose heroines, with turl
of the pen, dashed into wealth ant
fame. That would be very nice
only-I was not the least little bi
literary; I had never even kept i
journal, which is saying a grea
deal for girl in her teens. Th
s.fne arts then, being out of tn
question for me, whatremained
There was some clerksllip, or
place in some family, and-an'
there was Will BROMLEY!
That may seem like going ava
from the point. but it was not.
was matter-of-fa fact but [ could sc
:. we'll enough what was going O.
right under my eyes, and l had
pretty clear idea of what was bring
| ING Will to the house so often as h
had taken to cominglateIy. Thcr
was a "situation,' then, that woul
give me the homc-life I liked bes
and. felt myself hest snited for; b'
would itanswer in other respects
v T overcast the long seam | was. sew
Y ING twice over, l was 50 busy :ttr,'
9 ing to make mp my mind: whetbf
IT El-ol VIII PrOOmleV well euNug