The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1873-08-20
TOMS WIFE.

Deen playing with, and looked across
at mother.
"Aunt Anne, / think TN take a wife,"
he said, exactly as he might have said,
81 think I'll take another cup of cof.
fee."
"Take wife !" repeated mother, by
no means receiving the information as
TRANQUILITY as it had been given.
"What for ?"
"Well, 1 don't know" answered
Tom, thoughtfully. "It's notion I've
got in my head, somehow"
GAIL nonsense" said mother, sharp
ly.
"Do you think SOP" said Tom, ap-
parently doubtful, but not in the least
put out.
"Think so2 know it. What in
the world can you want of a wife?
After all these years we have lived so
comfortably together, to bring home
somebody to turn the house upside
down! And, then, what's to become
of that poor child2"
The "poor child"-that was I-rcd-
dening at being brought into the argu-
ment in this way, was about TO speak
for herself when Tom interposed,
warmly:
"I'm sure May knows 1 would never
have any wife who would make it less
a home for her-don't you, May?"
"Of course" said.
"And Pm sure she knows nothing
of the Sort" persisted mother, "nor
you either, Tom Dean. How can you
answer for what wife may take 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,
l suppose you mean, ma'am," Tom
put in for the second time, just as 1
was getting thoroughly uncomforta-
BILE. "But, for all that, intend to
keep her-that is" added Tom, with
one of his short-sighted blinks side
ways at me, cas- long as she'll stay
with nae, eh, May? And whoever has
anything to say against that arrange
ment will have to go out of my house
to say it-not that Pm afraid of any
such result in this case-and, on the
whole, Aunt Anne, 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
married ?"
Toms face fell little at this ques.
tion.
II can't say exactly. I suppose we
shall have to be engaged first"
"What!" said mother, opening her
eyes "You never mean to say, Tom,
you haven't spoken to her yet ?"
"Not yet" answered Tom cheerful
ly. "Time enough for that, you know
after l had spoken to you."
Mother, as a minister's widow, was
not much given to the idle mirth that
is as the cracking of thorns under II
pot, but now she leaned hack and
laughed till the tears stood in her
eyes. "Well she said, "if it was any
body 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 Iom "but, if
you will excuse, Aunt Anne, 1 would
rather not say any thing about her
Just yet, for, if--if any thing should
happen, it wouldn't be pleasant for
either party, you know" And with
which yelled allusion to his possible
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 was not really related to
Tom, nor even to "mother," as l call
ed her, though am sure we were as
dear to each other as any mother and
daughter could be. She was the sec
ond 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 for.
ward, and insisted on giving a home
to his aunt and to me, whom he had
scarcely seen a 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" suppose,
in spite of his clear head for business,
there is no denying that he was whim.
sieal but l am sure, when 1 think of
his unfailing generosity and delicacy,
/ can't help wishing there were a few