Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1873-07-10

There was elerkship, or a place in
some family, and-and there was Will
BROMLEY!
That may seem like going away from
the point, but it was not l was mat
ter-of fact, but could see we'll enough
what was going on right under my
eyes, and l had pretty clear idea of
what was bringing viii to the house
so often as he had taken to coming
lately. There was situation" that
would give me the home life l liked
best, and felt myself best suited for;
but-wOuld it answer in other re
spects? l overcast the long seam l
was sewing twice over, I was so busy
trying to make up my mind whether l
liked Win BloomIey well enough to
pass my whole life with him and even
then had not come to my decision,
when | was called down stairs to Let,
ty Walters
Lefty was the prettiest, I think. of
all my friends, and certainly the live,
liest. Tom called her ''the tonic," and
used to laugh heartily at her bright
speeches. | suppose it was this that
made mother fix on Lefty as his
choice. When l came into the sitting
room l found kind of cross-examin-
alton going ou.- 1t was amusing to
anybody i'll the secret, as L was, to
watch mothers artful way of continu
ally bringing the conversation round,
as if by chance, to bear on what she
wanted to know. But it all amounted
fO OOtbiOr oitbor Ioo.nSo otty, 1-o,
too good a fencer, or because she real
ly had nothing to betray. But, when
Tom came home, mother took care to
mention that Lefty had called.
"What, 1.-The tonic ?" said Tom
TOO bad / missed her"
but for your choice being already
made," said mother, with a covert
scrutiny of his face, Il dare say you
might have as much of the tonic as
you liked"
but l go on the homeopathic priu-
cipal, you know" answered Tom, with
a twinkle of his eye.
After that, mothers belief in Letty's
outlines wavered. Her suspicious
were transferred from one to another
of our acquaintances, but with the
same unsatisfactory result.
lit passes my comprehension" she
said to me, desparingly, one day
Il am positive l could tell the right
one by Toms face in a minute, and
yet have mentioned everybody we
know"
Perhaps it is somebody we don't
know" l suggested; ''sOme friend of
his we have never seen"
"What! a perfect stranger? p said
mother, sharply. Never talk to me,
child; Toms not capable of thatr'
l was silent, tor did not want to
worry her, but that was my opinion all
the same.
That same evcning-it was rather
more than a week since Tom had hurl,
ed that thunder bolt of his atus-moth-
er began about it openly.
when are you going to introduce
your wife to us, Tom? l suppose
you have come to an understanding
by this time?'
"Ob, there's no hurry said Tom,
as he had said before; but this time he
did not speak quite so cheerfully.-
The fact is" lie continued, with lit
tie hesitation, ''there-there's a rival
in the case"
GA rival ?" repeated mother, with
unfeeling briskness.
''Yes, young fellow-younger by
a good deal than am," and Toms
face assumed an absurdly doleful look
He is always there now. I confess l
don't see my way clear; I'm waiting
for her to make up her mind"
"And she's waiting, most likely, for
you to make up yours" said mother
forgetting, in her propensity to right
matters, that she was playing the enc
my's game.
Theirs something in that, that
never occurred to me-" said Tom, his
face Frightening. Mother saw hel
mistake, and made a countermove al
once.
''But the ways of my time are old
fashioned now: young ladies, nova
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, l judge by the girls l am in the
habit of seeing; but if this one is :
stranger to me" (here mother rivit
ed her eyes on Tom face; oh, dear
my misfortunate word y 'if she is al
entire stranger, I can not pretend tc
form any opinion Of her, of course.
"Of course" repeted Tom, absent
ly.
'sNot that I have any such idea," re
sumed mother, growing warmer; g
have said, and l say again, that tC
bring a perfect stranger under thi
roof is not my opinion of you, Tom.
l felt mothers words like so many
pins and needles; for Tom was look
ing meditatively across at me, ant
though that was just way of his,
seemed now as if he were reading il
my face that the opinion was mine
and that l had been meddling in wha
did not concern me. | felt myself
for very veXation, getting redde
every moment, until it grew intolera
BILE.
''It is so warm here" l said for al
excuse, turning toward the Frcnc
window. 81 am going to get breat
of air"
1 went out into our little strip o
garden ground: Tom followed.
thought should never have bette
opportunity to say what had it in m
mind to say, so waited for him b.
the bench under the old pear tree
"Sit down here, Tom," said, "Iv
something to say to you"
"Have your" said Tom; "that'
odd, for /. Well. never mind tbs
inst yet. What is it, May"
Tom" l said, still surer now h
had misjudged me, and more resolve
to set him right, Il want to get