The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1873-06-05

leasi little hil literary bad bever even
Kept s iourbsl, which Il saving 4 great
deal fora gil 10 hcr teens The fne arts,
then. being oui Of the question for me.
what remAiHedf There was some clerk.
ship Or place in some family. and and
there was VIII Broomlcy
That may seem Ike going away from
the point but Il was not was not a
matter-of.fact, but could Zee well
enough what was going on right under
my eyes, and had pretty clear idea OF
what was bringing VIII TO the house 20
often a. be had taken to coming lately.
There was situation, then. that would
give me the home-life liked best, and
felt myself best suited for; bui -would
Il answer ia other respecisf overcast
the long scam was sewing twice over, I
was 80 busy trving go mske up my mind
whether liked VIII Broomley well en-
oagh to pass my whole life with him; aud
even then had not come TO any decision
when | was called down,stalrs to Lefty
Walters,
Lefty was tho prettiest, | think Of all
my friends, and certainly the liyeliest.
Tom called her The tonic. sud used to
laugh heartily at her bright speeches.
suppose II was this that made mother fix
on Lefty as his choice When came in
to the sitting room, | found kind OF
oross-examinsliou going on. II was
amusing to anybody In the secret, AS |
was, to watch mothers arful way OF
continually bringing the conversation
round, as If by chance, TO bear on what
she wanted 10 kaow But 1t all amount
ed to nothing, either because Lefty was
too good a fencer, or because she really
had nothing to betfaY, aNs, whom Tom
came home, mother took care to mention
that Lefty had called,
What, the tonic? said Tom. Too bad
| missed her,
Bat for your choice being already made
said mother, with a covert scrGtiny o,
his face, dare cay YOU might have as
,a1oa oil the tonic as YOU liked.
hut 90 on the homeopathic principle,
you know, answer Tom, with n twinkle
in his eve.
After that, mothers belief in LettYs
Outlines wavered Her suspicious were
transferred from QUE % another of our
apqUaintanoes, but always with the same
unsatisfactory result,
1t passes my comprehension, she said
to me, despairingly, one day. am posi-.
tive could tell the right one by Toms
face in minute, and yet have mention
ed everybody we know.
Perhaps it is somebody we dop't know
suggested, some fiend OF his we have
never se0n,
What perfect Stranger said moth
en-, sharply. Never talk to me, child
Toms not capable Of that!
| was silent, for | did not want to wor
ry her; but that was my opinion all the
same.
The same eyening-it was rather more
than week since Tom had hurled thai
thunder-bolt of his at us-mother beaar
about it openly,
| When are you going 10 introduce youl
wife to MS, TomY | suppose you have
come to an understanding by thii
/ time?
| Oh, there's no hurry, Tom said, Os ht
had said before; but this time he did no
speak quite so chocrfully, The fact is
he continued, with little hesitation
there-there's rival in the case,
A rivalg repeated mother, with un:eel
Ing briskness.
Yes, young tellow-younger by {
good deal than am, and TOMS face as
sumed an absurdly doleful look. He i
always there now. confess don't SCI
my way clear, lm waiting for her IL
make up her mind,
| Aud she's waiting, most likely, for yol
to make up yours, said mother, forgettin!
In her propensity to right matters, ths
she was playing the enomy's game
There's something in that that never
occurred to me, said Tom, his face bright
eniug. Mother saw her mistaao ant
made go4ntil-moYe al once,
} But the ways OF my time are old fash
ianed nowi young ladies, now-a-dayI
take matter. into their own hands. !
.hc cared for you, you may be prett.
sure she wouldn't have waited tin thi
time to let you know it--that il, judg,
from the girls am in the habit Of seeing
but if this one is stranger 10 We-- ,her
mother riyeieJ heg eyes an fom's face
oa, dear, my unfortunate words D ii sh
Is an entire stranger, cannot pretend t
form any opinion Of her, of course.
or course, repeated Tom, absenly.
Not that have any such idea, resume
mother growing warmer; have said
and say again, that TO bring a perfec
stranger un der this roof is not mY op.r
ion ofyour Ton.
leit mothers words Ike 50 man
pins and needles: for Tom was lookin
mcdltatlvcly across at me, aud, thong
that was Just a way Of his, II seemed nol
as II be were reading in my face that II
opinion was mine, aud that had bea
meddIing IN what did uot roaeeru m'
I felt myself Il, very vekatiou, gettin
reader every momem, until Il grew II
tolefable,
Il |. 20 warm here, ! said, for aa e.
use, iuniug towards the French vii
. dow | am going to get breath
I'll.