Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1873-08-21
"And she's waiting, most likely,

And she's waiting, most likely
for you to make up yours" saidmoth-
er, forgetting, in her propensity to
right matters, that. she was playing
the encmy'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 a.
once.
"But the ways of my times are
old fashioned now; young ladies, now
a-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, I Judge by the girls I ain
in the habit of seeing; but this one
is stranger to me" (here mother
riveted her eyes on Toms face; oh,
dear, my unfortunate: :wordsD if she
is an entire stranger, I cannot pretend
to form any opinion Of her, of course. ="
"Of course" repeated Tom, abb
sently.
Mot that l have any such an
idea," resumed mother growing war
mer; II have said, and I say again,
that to bring perfect stranger under
this roof is not my opinion of you,
Tom
felt my mothers words like so
many needles and pins; for Tom was
looking meditatively across at me,
and, though that was just way'of
his, it seemed now as if he were read
ing in my face that the opinion was
mine, and that I had been meddling
in what did not concern me. l felt
myself, for very vexation, getting
redder every moment, till it grew.in-
tolerable.
1t is SO warm here" I said for an
excuse turning towards the French
window. I'm going to get breath
of sir"
I went out into our little strip of
garden ground; Tom followed. I
thought I should never have better
opportunity to say what I had it in
my mind to say, SO 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 you2" said Tom; " that's
odd for well, never mind that,
just yet. What is it, May ?"
"Tom," I said, still surer now
he had misiudged me, and more re-
solved to set him right, "I want a
place"
"a Place ?" repeated Tom, puzzled,
as well he might be, by this sudden
and indefinite announcement: what
kind of place p
"I don't know" I said, for, indeed,
my ideas were of the vaguest.
thought you might know, being in
the way Of those things. Now pray,
Tom" went on quickly, "dont
fancy I am discontented, or-or any
thing of that sort; the truth is, ever
since I left of school have wanted
something to do, and had it in my
mind to speak to you about it"
With this I looked at Tom, fear
ing he might be vexed; but he did
not look vexed, only preoccupied.
"I do know of place, as it hap
pens, he said after a while, "only
I'm not sure how it would suit you.
I" That soon seen, said |, "What
is it like ?"
"Well, it's sort of-~of general
usefulness"
Why. it must be to rnn errands'
said l, laughing And where Is 1t,
TON o.
Well" said Tom. hcSitatinaiy
again, its with me.
"How very nice" | exclaimed.
How soon cai. ] lave it?'
The sooner tInr brt;er. 50 far as |
am concerned, sail Tom, and viii
that he turned ronnl and looked at
me, and directly l met his eyes |
knew somehow, all in 4 moment, what
it was he meant; and | knew, too,
both that 7 could not have passed all
nv life with VIII Broomly, and why
| coal,l not
I am sure Lefty Walters, who IN
terrupted us just then, must have
thought my wits were wandering that
evening; and, ialerd, they were, for
was completely dazed with the sud-
den turn things had taken. But
Tom, who had the advantage Of me
there, took it quite coolly, and laugh
ed and talked with Lefty just the
same as ever till she went away.
It was pretty late when we went
in. Mother sat where we had lett
her, knitting in the twilight.
"Wasn't that Lefty Walters with
youa while ago?" she said as we
came up.
YES" said I, with a confused
feeling of something being necessary
"she just came to bring the new
crochet pattern she promised me.