Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1873-06-28

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had called.
What, the tonic ?" said Tom.
" Too bad, I missed her."
"But for your choice being already
made" said mother, with covert scru-
tiny of his face, dare say you might
have as much of the tonic as you
liked"
But I 60 on the homeopathic prin-
ciple, you know" answered Tom, with
a twinkle in his eye.
After that, mothers belief in Lefty s
guiltiness wavered. Her suspicious
transferred from one to another of our
acquaintance, but always with the same
unsatisfactory result.
"It passes my comprehension" she
said to me desparingly, one day. II
am positive I could tell the right one
by Toms face in q minute, and yet I
have mentioned everybody we knows
Perhaps it is somebody we don't
know" I suggested; "some friend of
his we have never seen."
What! perfect stranger ?" said
mother, sharply. "Never talk to me,
child; Toms not capable of that.
I was silent, for did not want to
worry her; but that was my opinion
all the same.
The same evening was rather
more than week since Tom had hurled
that thunderbolt of his at us-mother
began about it openly.
When are you going to introduce
your wife to us, Tom? 1 suppose you
have come to an understanding by this
time ?"
"Oh, there's no hurry" Tom said,
as he had said before; but this time he
did not speak quite SO cheerfully.
"The fact is, he continued, with n lit
tie hesitation, there-there's rival in
the case"
GA rival" replied mother, with un-
feeling briskness.
eyes, a young fellow-younger by a
good deal than I am" and TOMS face
assumed an absurdly doleful look.
"He's always there now. I confess I
don't see my way clear; I'm waiting for
her to make up her mind"
"And she's waiting, most likely, for
you to make up yours" said mother,
forgetting, in her propensity to right
matters, that she was playing the enc
my's game.
"There's something in that that nev-
er occurred to ME" said Tom, his face
frightening. Mother saw her mistake
and made counter-move at once.
"But the ways of my time are old
fashioned now; young ladies nowadays
take matters into their own hands. If
she cared for you you may be pretty
sure she wouldn't have waited till this
time to let you know it-that is, Judge
by the girls I am in the habit of seeing;
but if this one is a stranger to me-"
(here mother reveted her eyes on Tom s
face-oh, dear, my unfortunate words!)
4" if she is an entire stranger cannot
pretend to form any opinion of her
course"
"Of course" repeated Tom, ab-
sently.
"Not that I have any such idea," re-
sumed mother, growing warmer; "I
have said, and I say again, that to bring
perfect stranger under this roof is not
my opinion of you, Tom."
I felt mothers words like so many
pins and needles; for Tom was looking
meditatively across at me, and, though
that was justa way of his, it seemed
as if he were reading in my face that
the opinion was mine and that I had
been meddling in what did not concern
me, I felt myself, for very vexation
getting redder every moment, till it
grew intolerable.
It's so warm here" I said for an
excuse, turning to the French window.
II am going to get a breath of
air."
I went out into our little strip of gar
den ground; Tom followed.
I thought I should never have bet
ter opportunity to say what I had it in
my mind to say, SO I waited for him by
the bench under the old pear tree,
Sit down here, Tom," said; "I've
something to say to YOU"
=" Have your" said Tom;" that's odd,
for L, Well, never mind that just
yet. What is it, May?"
"Tom," + said, still surer how he