The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1873-10-23
TOMS WIFE.
BY KATE PUTNAM OSGOoD.

nave said, l think Ill take anOthe
cup of coffee
take a wite!' repeated mother
by no means receiving the informa
ton as TRANQUILITY as it had bee
given. 'What for p
well, ] don't know answere,
Tom, thoughtfully, 'It's notion I'v
got in my head, somehow
sAll nonsense said mother sharp
ly.
DO you think SO o?' said Tom, ap
parently doubtful, but not in tn
least put out.
'Think so? l know it. What il
| the world can you want with wife
After all these years we have livet
so comfortably together, to brins
home somebody to turn the hous
upside down! And then, what's t
become of that poor child p
The poor child'-that was I-red
dening at being brought into th'
argum ent in this way, was about t.
speak for herslef when Tom inter
posed, warmly:
'I'm sure May knows 1 would new
er have any wife who would make i
less a home for her-dont you
May?'
Of course | said.
'And Pm sure she knows nothing
of the Sort persisted mother, mo
you either, Tom Dean. How car
you answer for what a wife may take
into her head to do, once you ge
her fixed here? You can't expec
her to forget, as you do, that Ma,
has no real claim on you"
THAT | have no real claim on her
| suppose you mean, ma'am, Ton
put in for the second time, just as
was getting thoroughly uncomforta
BILE. But, for all that, l intend te
keep her-that is, added Tom, will
one of his short, sighted blinks side
wise at me, 'as long as she'll sta,
with me, oh, May? And whoever b al
anything to say against tn at arrange
meEt will have to 60 out of my house
to say it-not that I'm afraid of any
such result in this case and, on the
whole, Aunt Anna, l should like t.
Try the experiment.
Mother smiled grimly, but Ton
was so evidently bent on his 'exper
lment,' as he called it, that she gav'
up the argument.
you can dance, if you're ready t.
pay the piper she said, shortly
'And pray, how soon do you mean t.
be married?
Toms face fell a little at tbi
question.
'Well,' said he, Il can't say exact
ly, | suppose we shall have to b
engaged first
'What ! said mother, opening he
eyes 'Why, you never mean to say
Tom, you haven't spoken to he
yet p
Not yet answered Tom, cheer
fully. Time enough for that, yo
know, after l had spoken to you.'
Mother, as a minister's widow
was not much given to the idle mirt
that is as the cracking of thorns un
der pot, but now she leaned bac
and laughed till the tears stood i
her eyes.
'Well, she said, 'if it was anybod
else l should say he was cracked
but you never were like other peopl
and you never will be, Tom Dean
But, at least, yeu have fixed on tn
lady p
'Oh, yes answered Tom: 'bu,
if you will excuse me, Aunt Anna,
would rather not say anything abou
her Just yet; for, if-if anything
should happen, it wouldn't be pleas
ant for either party, you know.
With which veiled allusion to hi
possible rejection, Tom took his hat
and left the room.
Our household was rather queerl,
put together. There was no partlc
ular reason why l should have beer
OF it at all for l was not really re
lated to Tom, nor even to mother,
as | called her, though | am sure W
were as dear to each other as an
mother and daughter could be. Sh
was the second wife my father, who
like most ministers, had been richie
in grace than in goods, and he lei
us at his death with very liz tie t.
live on. Then it was that Ton
Dean had come forward, and insisted
on giving home to his aunt and t
me, whom he bad scarcely seen
dozen times in his life before. Tha
was exactly like Tom-'queer Tor
Dean,' as friends were fond of say
ing, who never did anything lik
anybody else.' All | had to do wa
to go where mother went, and, whil
she gave her energies to the house
keeping, gave mine to growing up
which by this time had pretty we
accomplished. l knew that mothe
had spoken honestly, believing ths
such step would not be for bi
happiness bat was not he the bes
Judge of that? l knew him, if re
Election should bring him round t
her opinion, to be perfectly capabl
of quietly sacrificing his own wishe
for my sake, who had not the shade,
of claim on him; 80 it must be m
part to prevent his own kindnes
being turned against him now
What could / do? Draw and sin
and play tolerably, but not in man
ner to compete with the hosts tina
would be in the field against mt
Literature / had read 80 man
stories whose heroines, with tur
of the pen, dashed into wealth an
fame. That would be very nice
only--I was not the least little b
literary. The fine arts, then, beiD
out of the question for me, what re
mained? There was some clerkshit
or place in some family, and-an
there was Will Broomly
That may seem like going ava
from the point, but it was not.
was matter-of.fact, but l could sc
well enough what was going o
right under my eyes, and / had
pretty clear idea of what was bring
ing Will to the house 80 often as b
had taken to coming lately. Their
was situation then, that woul
give me the home-life / liked bes
and felt myself lest suited for bu
would it answer in other respects
l overcast the long seam I was sew
ing twice over, / was so busy tryin
to make up my mind whether
liked Will BrOomlY well enough {