The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1873-05-29
TOMS WIFE.
by KATE PUTNAM OSGOOD.


laid down the egg spoon he had been play
ing with, and looked across at mother
Aunt Anne. think I'll take wife,
he said, exactly as he might have said, II
think I'll take another cup of coffee"
Take wife?" repeated mother, by no
means receiving the information as tran.
Inilly as it had been given. "What fOr?"
well, don't know" answered Tom,
thoughtfully. Its notion I've got in
my head, somehow"
"All NONSENSE" said mother, sharply,
Do you think sou said Tom, apparent.
ydoubtful, but not in the least put out.
Think so? know it. What in the
world can you want of wife? After all
these years we have lived so comfortably
together to bring somebody to turn the
house upside down! And, then, what's
to become of that poor child?"
The poor child"-that was I-redden-
ing at being brought into the argument in
this way, was about to speak for herself
when Tom interposed, warmly:
I'm sure May knows l would never
have any wife who would make it less a
home for her-don't you, May:"
'Of course" said 1.
"And Tn sure she knows nothing of
the sort" persisted mother, NOR YOU
either, Tom Dean. "How can you answer
for what a wife may take it into her head
to do, once you get her fixed here? You
can't expect her to forget, as you do, that
May has no real claim on you.'
THAT have no real claim on her,
suppose you mean ma'am," Tom nut in
for the second time, just as I was getting
thoroughly uncomfortable. "But, for ali
that, intend to keep her-that is" added
Tom, with one of his shortsighted blinks
sideways at me, "as long as she'll stay
with me, eh, May? And whoever has any
thing to say against that arrangement will
have to go out of my house to say it-not
that I'm afraid of any such result in this
case-and, on the whole, Aunt Anne, I
should like to try the experiment."
Mother smiled grimly, but Tom was so
evidently bent on his experiment" as he
called it, that she gave up the argument.
You can dance, if you're ready to pay
the piper" she said, shortly And, pray,
how soon do you mean to be marrieds"
Toms face fell little at this question.
"Well," said he, II can't say exactly.
suppose we shall have to be engaged
first
what" said mother, opening her eyes );
"why, you never mean to say, Tom, you
haven't spoken to her YETI"
Not yet" answered Tom, cheerfully.
Time enough for that, you know, after
had spoken to you"
Mother, as minister's widow, was not
much given to the idle mirth that is as
the cracking of thorns under pot, but
now she leaned back and laughed till the
tears stood in her eyes.
WELL" she said, ''if it was anybody
else, l should say he was cracked; but
you never were like other people, and you
never will be, Tom Dean. But, at least,
you have fixed on the Lady,"
''Oh, yes" answered Tom; "but, if you
will excuse me, Aunt Anne, would rather
not say anything about her just yet; for,
tiff anything should happen, it wouldn't
be pleasant for either party, you know"
sible rejection, Tom took his hat, and left
the room.
Our household was rather queerly put
together. There was no particular reason
why should have been of it at all; for I
was not really related to Tom, nor even to
mother" as called her, though l am
sure we were as dear to each other as any
mother and daughter could be. She was
the second wife of my father, who. like
most ministers, had been richer in grace
than in goods, and had left us at his death
with very little to live on. Then it was
that Tom Dean had come forward, and in
sisted on giving home to his aunt and to
me, whom he had scarcely seen dozen
times in his life before. That was exactly
like Tom-"queer Tom Dean" as his
friends were fond of saying, "who never
did any thing like anybody else" sup
pose, in spite of his clear head for business
there is no denying that he was whimsical;
but am sure, when think of his unfail-
ing generosity and delicacy, can't help
wishing there were few more such
whimsical people in the world. Natural
ly, at the time l am speaking of, NV
opinion had not been asked: ali I had to
do was to 60 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 accomplish
ed. But perhaps for that very reason
for one sees with different eyes at twelve
and eighteen.-my position in the house
had already begun to seem unsatisfactory
to me; and the mornings words put it in
a clearer light, since it had been used as
an argument against Toms marrying. I
knew that mother had spoken honestly,
for his happiness but was not he
him, if reflection should bring him
round to her opinion, to be perfectly capa-
BILE of quietly sacrificing his own wishes
for my sake, who had not the shadow of q
claim on him; so it must be my part to
prevent his own kindness being turned
against him now. Still it was not 90 easy
to see how l was to provide for myself in
case 1t should become advisable What
could do? Draw and sing and play tol-
erably, but not in manner to compete
with the hosts that would be in the field
against me. Literature? had read so
many stories whose heroines, with turn
of the pen, dashed into wealth and fame.
That would be very nice, only-I was not
the least little bit literary; had never even
kept journal, which is saying great
deal for q girl In her teens. The Time
arts" then, being out Of the question for