The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1873-05-29

the point but it was not I was matter-of.
fact, but I could see well enough what
was going on right under my eyes, and
had pretty clear idea of what was bring.
ing Will to the house SO often as he had
taken to coming lately. There was q "situ.
alton" then, that would give me the home.
life liked best, and felt myself best suited
for; but-would it answer in other re.
spects? l overcast the long seam I was
sewing twice over, was SO busy trying to
make up my mind whether I liked Will
BROMLEY well enough to pass my whole
life with him; and even then I had not
| come to any decision, when I was called
downstairs to Lefty Walters.
Lefty was the prettiest, I think, of all
my friends, and certainly the loveliest.
Tom called her 1.-THE tonic" and used to
laugh heartily at her bright speeches. 1
| suppose it was this that made mother fix
on Lefty as his choice. When l came
into the sitting-room, found kind of
cross-examination going on. 1t was
amusing to anybody in the secret, as I
was, to watch mothers artful way Of con-
tinually bringing the conversation round,
as if by chance, to bear on what she
wanted to know. But it all amounted to
nothing, either because Lefty was too
nothing to betray. But, when Tom came
home, mother took care to mention that
Lefty had called.
"Nhat, the tonic?" said Tom. "Too
bad missed her."
but for your choice being already
made" said mother, with covert scrutiny
of his face, II dare say you might have as
much of the tonic as you liked.'
Il,,< %1,n 81 Sns
pie, you KNOW" answered Tom, with q
twinkle in his eye.
After that, mothers belief in Letty's
outlines wavered. Her suspicious were
transferred from one to another of our &C.
quaintance, but always with the same un-
satisfactory result.
ut passes my comprehension" she
said to me, despairingly, one day. II am
positive I could tell the right one by
Toms face in minute, and yet have
mentioned everybody we know"
Perhaps it is somebody we don't know"
l suggested; "some friend of his we have
never SEEN"
"What! aperfect strangers" said mother,
sharply. "Never talk to me, child; Toms
not capable of thdt!'
WAS silent, for did not want to worry
her; but that was my opinion all the same.
The same evening-it was rather more
than a 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? l suppose you have
come to an understanding by this timc?"
"Oh, there's no hurry" Tom said, as he
had said before; but this time he did not
speak quite so cheerfully. 1.-THE fact is"
he continued, with little hesitation,
"there-there's rival in the case"
"A rival?" repeated mother, with unfcel-
ing briskness.
"Yes, a young fellow-younger by a
good deal than am" and Toms face as
sumed an absurdly doleful look. HE is
always there now. 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, forget
ting, in her propensity to right matters,
that she was playing the enemy's game.
There's something in that that never
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-fash-
toned now; young ladies, nowadays, take
cared tor you, you may be pretty sue she
wouldn't have let you waited till this time
to let you know it-that is, I Judge by the
girls / am in the habit of seeing; but if
this one is stranger to me" there
mother riveted her eyes on Toms face;
oh, dear, my unfortunate words y "if she is
an entire stranger, I cannot pretend to
form any opinion of her, of course"
"Of course" repeated Tom, absently.
"Not that l have any such idea," re-
sumed mother, growing warmer; II have
said, and say again, that to bring a per-
feet stranger under this roof is not nsy
opinion of you, Tom"
felt mothers words like so many pins
and needles; for Tom was looking medi-
tatively across at me, and, though that was
just a way of his, it seemed now is if he
were reading in my face that the opinion
was mine, and that I had been meddling
in what did not concern me. l felt my
self, for very vexation, getting redder
every moment, till it grew intolerable.
1T is so warm here" said, for an ex-
cuse, turning toward the French window.
II am going to get breath uf air."
went out into our little strip of gar
den-ground; Tom followed. I thought I
should never have better opportunity to
say what had it in my mind to say, so l
waited for him by the bench under the
old pear tree. "Sit down here, Tom,"
I said, "I've something to say to you"
"Have your" said Tom; "that's odd, for
+ Well never mind that, just yet. What
is it, May?'
"Tom,'' said, still surer now he had
misjudged me, and more resolved to set
him right, II want place."
IA placer" repeated Tom, puzzled, as
we'll he might be, by this sudden and in
definite announcement; what kind of a
placer"
II don't know" said, for, indeed, my
ideas were of the vaguest. II thought you
might, being in the way of those things.
Now, pray, Tom," went on quickly,
don't fancy l am disconnected, or-or
any thing Of that sort; the truth is, ever
since I left off school have wanted some
thing to do, and had it in my mind to
speak to you about it."
With this looked at Tom, fearing he
only preoccupied.
II do know of a place, as it happens"
he said, after a while, "only I'm not sure
how it would suit YOU"
That's soon SEEN" said 1. "What is it
like?"
"Well, it's sort of-of general useful
ness"
"Why, it must be to run errands," said
I, laughing. "And where is it, Tom?"
SWELL" said Tom, hesitating again, "it's
with me'
"How very meet" exclaimed. allow
soon can have its"
1.-THE sooner the better, so far as am
said Tom, and with that he
turned round and looked at me, and di-
rectly ! met his eyes I knew somehow,
all in moment, what it was he meant;
and knew, too, both that I could not
have passed all my life with Will Broom
ley, and schy could not.
/ am sure Lefty Walters, who interrupt
ed US just then, must have thought my
wits were wandering that evening, and,
indeed, they were; for was completely
Az. T. =