The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-06-05

ORHOc-bO ShC hICs uhll wa
between these two, an oldish man re
clined in an easy chair, He had big
bald head, and the expression of face o
d baby. The young lady was Theodore
the young man was Ned Wallace, anC
the bald-headed man with they bab7
face was Daddy Dinkle. It was Dadd1
Dinkle and his wards. Daddy Dinklt
was leoturing them in his mild mono
tones.
my children, liberal learning viii
revolutioniae the world"
To this work, my dear children
looking forward with Joy to the day
when your two bright young intellectt
would take the grand task off my feebl,
old hands, 1 have trained you. It ha'
been the hope and dream of my lattel
years that you two children would one
day take my school and continue it
training the future man, as I have tried
to do, to read the classics and love Goo
and his neighbor.
My more than children, my two
friends, who have made life less lonely
for me, if, besides continuing my
school for me, you could find it in your
hearts to walk through life together
tell you, next to my hope and faith that
the promised time will come. il has
been my fondest earthly hope that be.
fore my eyes close on this world, they
will look upon you two as husband and
wife. Believe me, / know you better
than you know yourselves, and no other
man or woman can ever be to either OF
you what you can be to each other"
He spoke with more than his usual
mild energy as he concluded. The girl
blushed slightly, and cast down her
eyes. The young man looked up at
first, with a flash of his brigandish,
wicked eyes, at the placid face Of Daddy
Dinkle, and then with another flash
into the fire, and then he made an i'm
patient movement of his arm, happily
unnoticed by the peaceful old man, but
by no means lost on the sensitive girl.
"Good night, nv children" said the
gentle old man. "Think about what I
said"
Then the old-fashioned old gentleman
took his old-fashioned candlestick and
trudged off to bed. The moment that
the door was softly closed be-
hind him Edward Wallace sprang to his
feet with look of extreme vexation.
Daddy Dinkle is doosid old Don
Quixote," he said. "What sort of a
weapon is a Greek root to fight the
world with I never said the conjuga-
tions in my life that I didn't get 'em
tangled, and I don't know what the op-
tative mode means to this day. And
even if had all the tarnation old rub.
bish at my fnger-ends, what use would
it be to me? If the old gentleman had
only seen fit to teach me botany and
anatomy"
81 like Daddy Dinkle's way best, "
said Theo.
"Oh, yes, it's we'll enough for girls
to sit at home and learn rubbish. They
take no part in the stirring, active life
of the world. For them there are no
worlds to conquer and measure, ro
boundless acres of marsh and forest to
wrest from the hand of nature and
make habitations for man, no secrets of
the ages to drag into light and force
them to disclose the origin of the race
and of the world. It'll do for women
to sit by the fire and drone over anti
quated lore; a more glorious career
awaits fnan-the immeasurable field
o action"
Theo. tapped on the floor with her
toes, and looked into the fire, but said
nothing. The young mans eyes rested
on her for a moment, and a look of
slight pain mingled with the look of an
noyance on his handsome face. He
paced the floor two or three minutes, as
if he didn't know what to say next; and
then, as if he had made up his mind,
he stopped short and began
81 know you like me, Theo. hang
it all the girls do, but I can't help it.
l wish they wouldn't. I don't care for
girls. I mean to spend my days in max
That's the only life for me. Theo., I'm
ashamed as a beast to mention it, but
Billy Rat is dying for you. Billy's Il
blessed sight better fellow than am I"
The foolish, handsome boy didn't
know what he was saying, didn't know
much of the nature of girls, or he never
would have blurted out that he knew
Theo. had laid her silly romantic girls
heart at his feet, and that he had no use
for the gentle gift. 1t was a brutal
speech to make, and no girl alive would
ever have forgiven bim for it, especially
when he went so far as to suggest the
transfer of her maiden affections to
else. But Edward Wallace
didn't know any better. He had no
idea in his blessed innocence of the
storm he was raising. Theo. stopped
t piping with her feet, and sat like a
stone woman.
"Why don't you say something,
Theo. ?"
She sprang up with white face, and
her eyes blazing. She stamped on the
floor passionately.
"Ned Wallace, don't you ever speak
to me again as long as you live p
He started in dismay.
DO you mean that, Theo. p
" mean every word of it. If I live
till 1 am a hundred years old I'll never
forget nor forgive what you said to me
lust now. To tell tne to my face that
you know I am in love with you, and if
it's just as convenient you wish I'd
make it somebody else. Oh, good God,
it's too much.
She covered her face with her hands,
her cheeks flaming with anger and hui
Edward Wallace made the
sudden and uncomfortable discovery
that he had hopelessly put his foot in
it. He knew of old something of the
temper he had aroused, and he stood
appalled,.
Theodora," said he, with a faint
sound of emotion in his voice, ''you and I
have been good chums all our lives.
Once, when you were little girl, re-
member you had ret kitten which you
liked very much. One day you caught
that kitten killing some birds. You
had liked her better than any thing else
in the world, yet you took the pretty
kitten and strangled her with your own
hands, and from that day to this you
have never allowed another cat in the
house. Are you going to turn away
from me tonight for good and ALL"
"Yes," answered Theodore, speaking
evry slowly, " for good and all. I can't
get over things like other people. I
don't want to. After tonight 1 shall
never speak to you again until forgive
you, and that will never be on earth.,'
"Then good-by, Theodore, answered
he, speaking unlike himself, very rap
idly, "Tm more sorry than 1 can tell
that I have offended you. Always re-
that when you think of me, if
you ever do. If you don't find me here
in the morning, you will know why"
So he turned and went away. Theo-
dora covered her face with her hands,
and burst into passionate tears-the wo-
mans weak refuge of tears.
a TI,oa oa~,,o