The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1873-09-04
TOMS WIFE.

at mother.
"Aunt Anne, I think I'll take a
wife" he said, exactly as he might have
said, 81 think I'll take another cup of
coffee"
"Take a wife?" repeated mother, by
no means receiving the information
as TRANQUILITY as it had been given.
'FWhat for?"
"Well, I don't know" answered
Tom, thoughtfully. 'Its a notion
I've got in my head, somehow"
4 Cali nonsense!" said mother, sharp
ly.
'Do you think so?" said Tom, ap-
parently doubtful, but notin the least
put out.
''Think so? I know it. 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's to become
of that poor child?"
The "poor child" that was I-red-
dening at being brought into the ar
gument in this way, was about to
speak for herself when Tom interpos-
ed warmly:
'Tm sure May knows I would new
er have any wife who would make it
less a home for her-don't you,
May?"
'SOf course" said ].
"And Tn sure she knows nothing
of the sort" persisted mother, ''nor
you either, Tom Dean. How can you
answer for what a 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 I have no real claim on her,
[ suppose you mean, maam, Tom
put in for the second time, just as I
was getting thoroughly uncomforta-
bic. "But, for all that, I intend to
keep her-that is" added Tom, with
one of his short-sighted blinks side
ways at me, "as long as she'll stay
with me, eh, May? And whoever has
anything to say against that arrange
ment will have to go out of my house
to say it-not that I am afraid of any
such result in this case-and,. on the
whole, Aunt Anne, I should like to
try the experiment"
Mother smiled grimly, but Tom
was SO evidently bent on his 'experi-
ment, 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?"
Toms face fell little at this ques-
ton.
"Well," said he, '1 can't say exact
ly. I suppose we shall have to be en-
gagged first.
"What!" said mother, opening her
eyes; ''why, you never mean to say,
Tom, you haven't spoken to her yet"
"Not yet" answered Tom, cheer
fully. ''Time enough for that, you
know, after had spoken to you"
Mother, as a ministers widow, was
not much given to the idle mirth that
is as the cracking of thorns under
pot, but now she leaned back and
laughed till the tears stood in her
eyes.
"Well," she said, ''iif it was anybody
else, I should say he ewas cracked; but
you 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, Aunt Anne, I
would rather not say anything about
her just yet; for, if-if anything
should happen, it wouldn't be pleas
ant 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 partieu-
lar reason why should have been of
it at all; for I was not really related
to Tom, nor even to 'Emother, as /
l called her, though / am sure we were
as dear to each other as any mother
and daughter could be. She was
! the second wife of my father, who,
like most ministers, had been richer
e in graces than in goods, and had left
n us at his death with very little to live
t on. Then it was that Tom Dean had
come forward, and insisted on giving
home to his aunt and to me, whom
J. he had scarcely seen dozen times in
II his life before That was exactly like
: Tom-"queer Tom Dean" as his
l. friends were fond of saying, "who
:. never did anything like anybody else "
! I suppose in spite of his clear head
N for business, there is no denying that
at he was whimsical; but lam sure, when
le I think of his unfailing generosity and
delicacy, I can't help wishing there
IN were few more such whimsical peo
u pie in the world. Naturally, at the
20 10 time 1 am speaking of, my opinion
n had not been asked; all I had to dc
lg was to go where mother went, and
w while she gave her energies to the
e. housekeeping, give mine to growing
'e | up, which by this time I had pretty
well accomplished. But perhaps fol
that very reason-for one sees will
OF different eyes at twelve and eighteer
g nv nosition in the house had al