Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-06-12

We had just finished breakfast. Tom
laid down the egg spoon he had been
playing with, and looked across at
mo ther.
Aunt Anne, l think I'll take
Wife," he said, exactly as he might
have said, IL think I'll take another
cup OF coffee"
Take wife!" repeated mother, by
no means receiving the information as
TRANQUILITY as it had been given. What
for =
"Well, l don't know" answered
Tom. thoughtfully. "Its notion I've
got in my head. somehow"
"All nonsense !" said mother, sharp
ly.
"Do you think so!" said Tom, ap-
parently doubtful, but not in the least
put out.
Think so! l know il. What in
the world can YOU want of wife !?
After all these years We have lived SO
comfortably together, TO bring home
somebody to turn the house upside
down! And, then, what is to become
of that poor child:''
The poor child"-that was /
reddening at being brought into the
argument in this way, was about to
speak :or herself, when Tom interpos-
ed warmly:
"rm sure May knows, I would never
have any wife who would make it less
home for her-don't you Mayi"
"Of course" said l.
And Tn sure she knows nothing Of
the Sort" persisted mother, ''nor YOU
either, Tom Dean. How can you an-
swer for what wife may take it 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 l have no real claim ON her, |
suppose you mean, ma'am," Tom put
in for the second time, just as was
getting throughly uncomfortable. "But,
for all that, l 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, Ell. May !?
And whoever has anything TO say
against the arrangement will have to
90 out of 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 experiment"
Mother smiled grimly, hut 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! p
Toms face fell little at this ques-
ton.
SWELL" said he, 81 can't say, exact.
ly. 1 suppose We shall have to be en-
gagged first"
"What I" said mother, opening her
eyes "why, you never mean to say,
Tom, you haven't spoken to her yet p
"Not yet," answered Tom, cheerful.
ly. "Time enough for that, you know,
after had spoken to you"
Mother, as q minister's widow, was
not much given to the idle mirth that
is as the cracking Of thorns under q
pot, but now she leaned back and
laughed till the tears stood in her ewes
"Well," she said, ''if it was anybody
else, 1 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 Ia
dy"
"0h, yes," answered Tom, "but, i
you will excuse me, Aunt Anne.
would rather not say anything abou
her, just yet; for, if-anything SHOULD
happen, Il wouldn't be pleasant 70
either party, you know" With thi
veiled allusion to his possible rejection
Tom took his hat, and left the room.
| Our household was rather uueerl
put together. There was no particula
reason Why ! should have been Of it q
| all; {oE4 va not really related t