Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1873-06-05

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 q
clearer light, since it had been used as
an argument against Toms marrying. 1
knew that mother had spoken honestly,
believing that such a step would not be
for his happiness !; but was not he the
best Judge of that? I knew him, if re-
Election should bring him round to her
opinion, to be perfectly capable of
sake, who had not the shadow of claim
upon him so it must be my part to pre-
vent his own kindness being turned
against him now. Still, it was not SO
easy to see how was to provide for
myself, in case it should become advisa-
BILE. What could I do2 Draw and
sing and play tolerably, but not in a
manner to compete with the hosts that
would be in the field against me. Litera-
ture ? I had read SO many stories
whose heroines, with a turn of the pen,
dashed into wealth and fame. That
would be very nice, only-I was not the
least bit literary had never even kept
q journal, which is saying great deal
for girl in her teens. The "fne
arts" then, being out of the question
some clerkship, or a place in some
family, and-and there was Will Broom
ley !
That may seem like going away from
the point, but it wasnot. I was matter
of-fact, but I could see well enough
what was going on right under my eyes,
and I had pretty clear idea of what
was bringing Will to the house so often
as he had taken to coming lately. There
was " situation" then, that would
give me the home-life I liked best, and
felt myself best suited for; but-would
it answer in other respects ? 1 overcast
the long seam I was sewing twice over,
Twas so busy trying to make up my mind
whether I liked Will BROMLEY we'll
enough to pass my whole life with him !;
and even then had not come to any de-
cision, when / was called downstairs to
Lefty Walters.
Lefty was the prettiest, think, of all
my friends, and certainly the iveliest.
Tom called her "the tonic" and used
to laugh heartily at her bright speeches.
I suppose it was this that made mother
fix on Lefty as his choice. When L
came into the sitting-r room I found a
kind of cross-examination going on. It
was amusing to anybody in the secret,
as was, to watch mothers artful way
of continually 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
good fencer, or because she really had
nothing to betray. But, when Tom
came home, mother took care to mem
ton that Lefty had called.
: t'What, the tonic p said Tom. Too
bad I missed her."
'tBut for your choice being already
made" said mother, with covert scru-
tiny of his face, " l dare say you might
have as much of the tonic as you liked. +"
s'But go on the homeopathic prin-
ciple, you know, answered Tom, with a
twinkle in his eye.
After that, mothers belief in Lefty
were transferred from one to another of
our acquaintances, but always with the
same unsatisfactory result.
1t passes my comprehension" she
said to me, despairingly, one day.
am positive I could tell the right one by
Toms face IN minute, and yet I have
mentioned everybody we know"
"Perhaps it is somebody we don't
know" suggested some friend of
his we have never seen"
"What perfect stranger ?" said
mother, sharply. Never talk to me,
child Toms not capable of Us0t!"
I was silent, for I did not want to
worry her; but that was my opinion all
the same.
That same evening-it was rather
more than a week since Tom had hurled
that thunder-bolt of his at us-nother
began about it openly.
"When are you going to introduce
IN II
have come to an understanding by this
time 2''
"Oh, there's no hurry" said Tom, as
he had said before but this time he
did not speak quite SO cheerfully. "The
fact is, :" he continued, with little hesi-
tation, "there-there's q rival in the
case"
ga rival ?" repeated 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. 4" He
is 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 enemy s
game.
"There's something in that that never
occurred to me-" said Tom, his face
Frightening. Mother saw her mistake,
and made O counter-move at once.
"But the ways of my time are old
fashioned now; young ladies, nova
days, 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 riveted her eyes on Toms
face oh, dear, my unfortunate word J
&C. if she is an entire stranger, cannot
pretend to form any opinion of her, oi
course"
"Of course" repeated Tom, absently
Not that 1 have any such idea, re
sumed mother, growing warmer &c ]
have said, and I say again, that to bring
perfect stranger under this roof is no
nly opinion of you, Tom"
I felt mothers words like SO man,
pins and needles for Tom was looking
meditatively across atme, and though tina
was just way of his, it seemed now a
if he were reading in my face that th'
opinion was mine, and that I had beel
meddling in what did not concern me
I felt myself, for very vexation, gettin.
redder every moment, till it grew in