The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1873-07-17

oWct III olueT d TecpectssrJ Il oScI-
cast The long seem b was sewing
twice over, 1 wasisos busy trying
to make mp my mind whether |
liked Will Broomly well enough
to pass my whole life ed'with him;
and even then / had not come to
any decision, wl,en7I was called
down to Lefty Walters. q "." +,
il Lefty was the pyettiest, | think,
of all my, friends, and certainly,
the liveliest.i Tom called her ''the
tonic," and used to laugh at her
bright speeches. | suppose II was
this that made mother Tx on Let
ty as his choice. When / came
into the sit;ing-room, l found a
kind Of ocross-examination going
on. 1t was amusing to anybody
in the secret, as ! was, to watch
mothers aitful way Of continually
bringing the conversation Ground
as if by chance, to bear on what
she wanted to know. Dnt all
amounted to nothing, either be-
cause Lefty was too good fencer,
or because she really had moth
ing to betray. But, when Tom
came home, mother took care to
mention that Lefty had called.
"What, the tonic 2" said Tom.
"Too bad Il missed her." .s
"But for your choice being al
ready made," said mother, with a
covert scrutiny of his face, 81
dare say you might have as much
Of the tonic as you liked" -
"But I 60 on the homeopathic
principle, you know" said Tom,
with a twinkle in his eye.
After that, luo'her's belief in
Letty's outlines wavered. Her
suspicious were transferred from
one to another of our acquaintance,
but always with the same pnsatis-
factory result.
ut passes my comprehension"
she said to me, dcspairingly, one
day. 81 am positive l conld toll
the right one by Toms face in a
minute, and yet l have mentioned
everybody we know"
"Pe'haTs it is somebody we
don't know" suggested: "Some
friend of lis we have never seen."
'"What! a perfect stranger 2"
said mother, sharply. ''Never
say SO to me, child; TOMS not
capable Of that" a5 o'i. r<su
| was silent, for did not want
to worry her, but that was my
opinion all the same. 80 -.
Ir The same cvenlng-it was rath-
or more than week since Tom
had hurled that thundcrbolt of
his at us mother began about it
openly. "a f''1 =. '''.
"When are you going to in
troduce your wife to us, Torns l
suppose you have come to an nn-
derstanding by this time 2"
"Ob, there's no hurry," Tom
said, as lie had said before; but
tlis time he did not speak quite
so chcerfnlly. F'SThe fact is," he
continued with a little hesitation,
"there's-there's a rival in the
case" 80 .,o,, 49,,
+ "A rival 2" repeated, mother
with unfeeliug briskness. 1EH 100 q
"Yes, young'fellow-youngcr
by good deal than I am" and
Toms face assumed an absurdly
doleful look. "He is always there
now.s l confess | don't see my
way clear; Pm waiting for her to
make up her mind" ,"' =.
leu ~ in1G. .GW d1,rf ,.,N,
"And she's waiting, most likely
for.you to make up yours said
mother, forgetting, in her pro-.
pcnsityto right matters, that she
was playing tho cncmy's game.
b. There's something in that that
fhever occurred to me,'' said Tom,
hls, face Frightening. Mother saw
her mistake, and madea counter
move at once. 7i9"t J" '.'aos go
''Bnt the ways Of my time are
old fashioned now; young ladies,
nowadays, take matters in their
own hands. If Size cared for you,
you may be pretty sure she would.
MT have waited till this time to
let you know it-that is, | judge
the girls l am in the habit of see-
ing but If this one is stranger
to me 80 (hero . mother riveted
her eyes on Toms face; oh, dear,
my unfortunate words y IF she
is an, entire stranger,i / cannot
pretend to form an opinion Of her,
of course.'' .''esoD sanaaarl - AZ
"of COURSE" repeated Tom, al.
sently. ''-
"Not that I have apy such idea,".
.Ifnfm lNn.T 10 .HfN d.