The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1873-10-10
arhe sooner the better, so far as l am

ne turned rOun0 ana looked at me, anu
directly met his eyes | knew somehow,
all in a moment, what it was he meant;
and l knew, too, both that | could not
have passed all my life with Will
BROMLEY, and why l could not.
am sure Lefty Walters, who inter
rupted us just then, must have thought
my wits were wandering that evening,
and, indeed, they were; for [ was COM
pleteIy dazed with this sudden turn
things had taken. But Tom, who had
the advantage of me there, took it quite
coolly, and laughed and talked with
Lefty just the same as ever till she
went away r
/ 1t was pretty late when we went in.
Mother sat where we had left her knit
ting in the twilight.
"Wasn't that Lefty Walters with you
while ago." she said, as we came up.
"Yes,' said 1, with a confused feeling
of an explanation of something being
necessary; "she just came to bring the
new crochet pattern she promised me-"
"H'mw said mother, as much as to say
she had her own ideas as to what Lefty
came for.
Tom had been wandering about the
room in an absent sort of fashion, taking
up and putting down in the wrong pla-
ces all the small objects thai rame in his
way. He came up and took seat by
mother. 1 became of sudden very
busy with the plants III the window; for
knew he was going to tell her.
Wish me joy, Aunt Anne" said he,
"it's all settled"
"Settled, is it?" said mother, in any
thing but a joyful tone. $50 it's as I
suspected all along. Well, you have my
best wishes, Tom; perhaps you may be
happy together after all; Pm sure l hope
So"
This wasn't very encouraging sort of
congratulation, and Tom seemed rather
taken aback by it.
"I'm sorry you're not pleased" he said
after pause; ~ had an idea somehow
you would be-"
81 don't know from what you judged.
But there's no use crying over split milk.
You'll be married directly, 1 presume; l
must be looking out for a house." and
mother stroked her nose refectively with
knitting needle.
"What for?" said Tom; ri thought of
keeping on here all the same"
81 never supposed otherwise" said
mother. 'Of course, I did not expect to
turn you out of your own house."
"What is the need Of looking out for
another, then?"
"Why, for myself? ?"
"For yourself~ repeated Tom, in a
tone of utter m cement "Going to
leave us-just Ia Why, Aunt Anne,
I never heard of So ingr'
"Now, Tom,' said mother, speaking
very fast, and making her needles fly in
concert, "we might as we'll come to an
understanding at once on this subject.
am fully sensible of your past kindness
now just let me fnish-I say appre-
ciate il, and have tried to do my duty by
you in return, as l hope 1 shall always
be ready 40 de.-I rsi-la-sell- good te, goa
and your wife, and shall be glad to help
her if ever can, but to live in the came
house with her is what would turn out
pleasantly for neither of US, and, once for
all, can't do it."
"Aunt Anne" said Tom, pushing back
his chair, and staring in mothers face, |
"either you or I must be out of our wits"
"It's not me, then, at any rate" retort-
ed mother, getting nettled.
Amusement and certain embarrass-
ment had kept me a silent listener SO far,
but there was no standing this; I tried |
to speak, but could not, for laughing.
81 think you are all out of your wits
together" said mother, turning to me
sharply. "What a;ls the child? it is no
laughing matter"
"You don't understand each other" I
gasped; "oh, deari-it's not Letty-oh-
oh, dearP' and relapsed again.
"Not Letty?" repeated mother, turning
" AoAA. 4ueu wiz uIQ you tell me SO!
"I never told you so," said Tom.
"Why, yes you did" persisted mother
"You came in and told me you were 60
ing to be married"
eyes, SO am," said Tom, still at cross
purposes.
"Now, Tom Deap," said mother, rising
and confronting him, "what do you
mean? who is going to be your wife?"
"Why May, of course" answered Tom
"May!" and then, after pause of in
expressible astonishment, it was moth
er's turn to laugh. "Do you mean to
say, Tom, it was that child you were
thinking of all the while?"
"Why, who else could it be?" asked |
Tom, simply.
"Well," said mother, ought to have
remembered you never did do anything
like anybody else. But, still, why in
the world did you go to work in such
round about way?"
II wanted to see how you took my
idea," said Tom.
"And how did you suppose we were to
guess your idea meant May?" mother
asked.
"Who else could it be?' repeated Tom,
falling back on what he evidently found |
to be an unanswerable argument 1t |
was no use talking to him. Mother gave
it up with shake of the head.
"And you want another house then, |
Aunt Anne?" said Tom, suddenly. That
set mother off again; Tom Joined with
her, and altogether don't think we ever
passed merrier evening than the one
that made me acquainted with Toms |
wife.-[Ka Putnam Osgood, Appleton's |
Journal.
Count Troutmansdorf, Grand Equer-
ry to the Emperor Charles VI, pur-
chased from the celebrated Jacob Steiner
violin under the following conditions: