The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1873-06-12
TOMS WIFE.
From Appleton,s Magazine.

"Aunt Anne, / think I'll take wife, >
he said. exactly as he NIGH have said,
II think I'll take another Gu. If coffee. "
take wifei" repeated mother, by no
means receiving the infcrma'lon as tran,
gully a. it had been given.
What for?" &
well, l don't know" answered Tom,
thoughtfully, "It's notion I've got in my
heAd, somehow )" g-a
"All nonsense!" said mother, sharply.
"Da you think so?" said Tom, apparent
~ doubtful, but not in the least put out.
Think SO? I know it. What in the
world can you want of wife? After all
these sars we have lived so comfortably
together, to bring home somebody to turn
the house upside down! And, then, what's
to become of that poor child?" oas
The "pDor child"-rhat was I--redden.
ing at beirg brought into the argument
in this way, was about to speak for her
elf when Tom interposed, war mly:
I'm sure May knows I would never
have any wife who would make it less a
home for her-don't you May" q -
"Of course" I said. aE
"And I'm sure she knows nothing OF
the sort" persisted mother nor you
either, Tom Dean. How can you answer
for what wife may take into her head
to do, once you get her fixed heres You
can't expect her to forget, as you do. that
May has no real claim on YOU"
"That I have no real claim on her I
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 blink'
sideways at me-, "as long as she'll stay
with me, Ell, May! And whoever has any
thing to say against that arrangement will
have TO go out of my house to say it-no
| that I'm afraid of any such result in thi
case-and. on the whole, Aunt Anne, ]
should like to try the experiment"
Mother smiled grimly. but Tom was go
evidently bent on his experiment" as he
cal led 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."
Toms face fell little a. this question
well" said he. Il can't say exactly.
suppose we shall have to be engaged frst.'
"What said mother, opening her eyes
"Why you never mean to say, Tom. you
haven't spoken to her YETI"
"Not yet" an wered Tom, chesrfully
"rime enough for that, you know, after 1
had spoken to you"
Mother, as a ministers widow, was not
much given.t the idle mrtb that is as the
cracking of thorns under pot. but now
she leaned b .ck and laughed till the tears
stood in her eyes.
"Well, she said, eff it was anybody
else should say he was cracked; but yor
never were like other people, and you
never will be, Tom Dean. But at least
you have fixed on the lady?"
"Oh. yes" answered Tom; "but, if you
will excuse me. Aurt Anne. would
rather not say anvthing about her just
yet; for, tiff anything should happen, il
wouldn't be pleasant for either party, you
know" With which yelled allusion to
his possible rejection. Tom took his hat,
and left the room.
Our household was rather queerly put
together. There was no particular reason
why | should have been of it at ALL for
was not really related to Tom, nor ever
to mother" as called her, though l an
sure we were as dear to each other as any
mother and daughter could be. She wa1
The second wife Of my father, who like
most ministers mad been richer in grace
than in goods,and had left US st his death
With very little to live on. Then it was
that Tom Dean had come forward, and
insisted on giving a home to his aunt
and to me- whom he had scarcely seen &
dozen Zines In his life before. That wa:
exactly like Tom-"queer Tom Dean,
as friends were fond of saying. "Whc
never did anything like anybody else"
suppose, in spite of his clear head fol
business, there is no denying that he wa