The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1873-06-12
Sir, put this it. your MITES nsrror.
From Appleton's Aagazi
TOMS WIFE.
BY KATE PUTNAM osGooD.

BY KATE PUTNAM OsGoOD.
We had just finished breakfast. Tom
laid down an egg spoon he had been play
ing With, and looked across at mother.
AUNT Anne, l think III take wife, !"
he said, exactly as he might have said,
st think I'll take another cup of cof-
fee
Take a wife p repeated mother, by
no means receiving the information as
TRANQUILITY as it had been given. "Wha:
for? p
"Well, I don't know" answered Tom
thoughtfulIy, "It's notion I've got in
my head, somehow"
All nonsense |" said mother, sharp
".
do you think SOP said Tom, appa-
rently doubtful, but not in the least put
out
Think so. ] know it. What in the
world can you want with wife Z After
all these years we have lived so comforta-
bly, together, to bring home somebody to
turn the house upside down And,
then. what's to be come Of that poor
child ?"
TIE poor child--that was I-redden-
ing at being brought into the argument
in this way, was about to speak for her.
self 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 p
OF course" | said.
And I'm sure she knows nothing of
the Sort, persisted mother. nor you
either, Tom Dean. How can you answer
for what a wife may take into her head
to do, once you get her fixed here?
You can't expect her to forget, az you
do, that May has 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 | was getting
thoroughly uncomfortable But, for all
that, [ intend to keep her-that is, ~
added Tom, with one Of his short sighted
blinks sideways at me, as long as she'll
stay with me, eh. May. And whoever
has anything to say against that arrange
ment will have to go out IF my house to
say it-not that I'm afraid of any such
result in this case-and on the whole
aunt Anne. should like to try the ex-
pertinent"
Mother smiled grimly, but Tom was sc
evidently bent on his experiment.. as
he called it, that she gave up the argu-
ment.
"You can dance, if you're ready to
pay the piper, she said shortly. "And /
pray how soon do you mean to be mar
ried?' /
Toms face fell a little at this ques-
ton.
Well. said he, 81 can't gay exactly
l suppose We shall have to be engaged |
grst."
" Whatl said mother, opening her
eyes; Why, you never mean to say,
Tom. you haven't spoken 20 her YETI"
Not yet" answered Tom, cheeyfully.
!" Time enough for that you know, after
/ had spoken to you
Mother. as a minister widow, was not
much given to the idle myth 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 ny5ody
else | should say he was cracked but
vou never was like other people, and you
newer will be, Tom Dean. But at least,
7ou have fixed on the lady p
"Oh, yes, answered Tom 4" but if
1ou will excuse me, Aunt Anne, would
s:her not say anything about her just
ret for if-if anything should happen,
t wouldn't be pleasant for either party,
,ou know" With which yelled alusion
% his possible rejection, Tom took his
lat and left the room.
Our hosehold was rather queerly put |
ogether. There was no particular rea-
on why should have been of it at all
or I was not really related to Tom, nor
wen to mother, as | called Ler, though
am sure we were as dear to each other
IS any mother or daughter could be-
She was the second wife of my father,
Who, like most ministers, had been richer
q grace than 10 goods, and had left us at !
lis death with very little to live on.
Then it was that Tom Dean had come
onward, and insisted on giving home to
lis aunt and to me, whom he had scarce
y seen dozen times in his life before.
That was exactly like Tom-queer Tom
Jean, as his friends were fond uf saying,
tho never did anything like anybody
ilse. / suppose, in spite of his clear
cad for business, there is no DENYING
lat he was whimsical; but am sure.
hen think of his unfailing generosity
I'd celicacy, / cant help wishing there
ere few more such whimsical people
the world. Naturally, at the time |
speaking of.my opinion bad not been
sed all had to do was to go where
,ther went, and while she gave her en-.
,ies to the housekeeping, | gaye mine
growing up. which by this time had
tts wen sssGmplisRed. But psrtsps