Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1873-07-17

y
ed"
"But go on the homeopathic prin-
ciple you know answered Tom with
a twinkle in his eye.
After that, mothers belief in Letty's
outlines wavered. Her suspicious
were transferred from one to another
of her acquaintance, but always with
the same unsatisfactory result.
'It passes my comprehension" she
said to me, dcspairingly, one day. 81
am positive could tell the right one
by Toms face in minute, and yet |
have mentioned everybody we know"
"Pcrhaps it is somebody we don't
know" 1 suggested; some friend of
his we have never SEEN"
"What, a perfect stranger 2" said
mother sharply, ''never talk to me
child; Toms not capable of that"
| was silent, for | did not want to
worry her; but that was my opinion
all the same.
That same evening-it was rather
more than q week since Tom had hurl-
ed that thunderbolt at us-mother be-
gan about it openly.
"When are you going to introduce
your wife to us, Tom? suppose you
have come to an understanding by this
time ?"
"Oh, there's no hurry" Tom said, as
he had said before; but this time he
did not speak quite so cheerfully. "The
fact is" he continued with a little hes
itation, "there-there's rival in the
case"
"A rival?" repeated mother with
unfeeling briskness.
Eyes, young fellow-younger by
a good deal than | am" and Toms
face assumed an absurdly doleful look
"He is always there now. l confess l
don't see my way clear. l am wait
ing for her to make up her mind"
"And she's waiting most likely, for
you to make up yours" said mother in
her propensity to right matters, not
realizing that she was playing the en-
emy's game.
"Theres something in that that new
er occurred to me-" said Tom, his face
frightening. Mother saw her mistake
and made u counter-move at once.
"But the ways of my time are old
fashioned now. Young ladies, now-a-
days, take matters into their own
hands. If she cared for you, you may
be pretty sure she wouldn't have wait
ed till this time to let you know it
that is, | judge by the girls l am in
the habit of seeing; but if this one is
a stranger to me-" (here mother riv-
eted her eyes on Toms face; oh, dear,
my unfortunate wordsD eff she is an
entire stran ger, I cannot pretend to
form any opinion of her, of course"
"Of course" repeated Tom, absent
ly.
"Not that 1 have any such idea" re-
sumed mother, growing warmer; 81
have said and say again, that to bring
perfect stranger under this roof is
not my opinion of you, Tom"
l felt mothers words like pins and
needles, for Tom was looking medita
lively across at me, and though that
was just a way of his, it seemed now
as if he were reading in my face that
the opinion was mine, and that l was
meddling in what did not concern me.
l felt myself, for very vexation, get
ting redder every moment till it grew
intolerable.
at is so warm here" l said for an
excuse, turning toward the French
window. 81 am going out to get a
breath of air.
| went out into our little strip of
garden ground. Tom followed.
thought | never should have better
opportunity to say what was in my
mind to say, so l waited for him by
the bench under the old pear tree,
"Sit down here, Tom," l said, 'Tve
something to say to you"
slave you?' said Tom; that's odd
for I-Well never mind that just yet
What is it, May?'
"Tom," l said, still surer now, he
had misjudged me, and more resolved
to set him right, 81 want place"
"a place? 2" repeated Tom, puzzled,
as well he might be, by this sudden
and indefinite announcement "what
kind of placer
81 don't know" l said, for indeed
my ideas were of the vaguest. 81
thought YOU might, being in the way