The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1875-08-05

ouiy what Was going on ABOUT lDhl
hour, more or less, every morning
The amount of it is, the man didn't
know q sunrise when he saw il, and
to hear him now Thapsodizing about
the morning light on the lake is a
little too much for human nature"
81 bear you no malice, for your
ISLANDERS, Tom" said Perry, when the
laugh against him was over. "for [
know you are so constituted that you
couldn't tell the truth, even if you
were to try. only appeal to Mrs
Gregory whether she did or did not
hear me agree with Symonds, the
artist, to see the sun rise from Round
Hill ?"
"Ob, agree, agree" !" said Tom; "any-
body can make an agreement-the
pinch is to keep it, Well, now, Mrs,
Gregory, what do you say. was this
unhallowed compact made ?"
Certainly it was made !" answered
Mrs. Gregory.
"But not kept Aha, Perry, here
is your own witness turning against
you Her disbelief in you Is evil
dent"
''NOw, Mr.. Grover, do you call that
fair argument? The court asks wit
ness what he knows, not what he
thinks, or else / should have ex-
pressed my belief that Mr.. Vance
Kept his word. Then you have over
looked several little circumstances in
his favor; for instance, that wild
| flower in his buttOn-hole, which you
see Is quite fresh, and the glow of ex-
ercise diffused over his countenaDee-"
"And the fOurishing state of his ap-
petite" parenthesiZed Frank, slyIy,
as he passed plate of corn cake to
Perry.
"Well, why not?n continued Mrs.
Gregory, as gravely as before. "That,
tOo-that is another link in the chain
of circumstantisl evidence"
(which is proverbially apt to mis-
lead" remarked Tom. "HOwever, l
yield discretion. Mr.. Vance has
turned over q new leaf, and the
thanks Of his large end-thOugh I say
1t out perhaps shOuidn't-highly-re-
spectacle circle of friends are due to
Mrs. Gregory"
ITO mep' said Mrs Gregory, open
ing her large, hazel eyes a trifle wider.
II really don't quite see the connec-
ton betWeed the sunrise and myselfn
"Oh-well-" said Tom putting on
Rn innocent air; "start an old bach
ever SO little out of the beaten path,
aid there's no telling where hell
bring up, you know"
''It is the little rift within the lute,"
quoted Mrs. Tom.
'In other words, the small end of
the wedge" amended Tom. And
thereupOn both rose, laughing, and
followed Frank out on the piazza.
Perry, for bis part, was rather dis
concerted by the turn the converse
ton had taken. He glanced at Mrs.
Gregory. If there had been the least
consciousness about her, it is highly
probable that, Notwithstanding the |
vigorous appetite which Frank had |
remarked, and which is not the least |
agreeable result of climbing a noun |
tain to see the sunrise, he would have |
run away in his turn. But the absO-
lutte unconeern with which she went |
on crumbling Cassie's short-cake, re-
assured him, and he concluded be |
might venture to finish his breakfast. |
But presently-so contradictory are |
the best of us-from reassuring, this /
indifference began to pique him. 1t
was not, on the whole, he thought, q 1
compliment that she should pay so |
little attention to the raillery which
had Disconnected him. Then he won-
dered If che hsd not perceived its
drift, and, in wondering, forgot what
he was about till recalled by his
neighbours exclamation, "Why Mr..
Vance, what was you thinking OFF,"
to find that his coffee-eup was run
ming over, and sending a small brown
stream dangerously toward Mrs. Greg
Ory.
"Oh, I beg your pardon ~ he ex-
claimed, setting down the coffee pot
hastily, and jumping up, by which
movement he trod upon the large yell
low house-eat slumbering peacefully
under the table. With s shrek of
rage and anguish, puss was overturn-
ing, in her gymnastics, q dish of
milk-toast in the very centre of the
frills and fuckers of Mrs. Gregory's
crisp morning muslin. The lady
leaned back and laughed till the tears
stood in her eyes, while Perry, on bis
knees, napkin in hand, did his best to
repair the mischief he had caused.
"BehOld the awkwsrdness of bach
elor ~ he said pausing in his task to
glance ruefully upward.
"What are you turning traitor to
the brotherhood ?n said Mrs. Gregory,
recovering breath.
81 am not sure but it would be the |
best thing could do" said Perry, as
If struck by sudden thought; "turn
my back on them altogether, and
Sand return to that designing
young woman" completed Mrs.
Gregory, demurelY.
"Oh, no; If she had been my des-
tiny should not have come here
there is a fate in these things, you
know"
There was certainly pretty strong
hint conveyed in this speech, II Mrs. |
Gregory had chosen to take it. !
Whether she would have done so |
must remain unknown, inasmuch as,
at this moment, Tom Grover ap- |
peared at the opOu window.
"Excuse nae il J. interrupt the |
court" he said, with malicious
glance at Perry's position. ''I judged |
from Cassie's tumble of cats and cof- |
fee, that bedlam was broken loose In |
here; but, as see there Is method in |
the madness, I will directly take my
self of again"
=
of, !" said Mrs. Gregory, surveying her |
buttered robe with a smile. "I GER
tainly look it for badlam at PRESENT.
Thanks to me-" said Perry,
"YOu;ll never forgive my awkward
ness, Pm afraid"
"Oh. hope / have a soul above
buttons" answered Mrs. Gregory,
laughing. Perry looked after her, as
she left the room, with an expression
of countensnce which induced a sud-
den severe fit of coughing on Tom
Growers part.
1t appeared, in fact, that Mrs. Greg
Ory bore Perry no malice for her
spoiled muslin, for after this little epi-
sOde they were rather better friends
than before. Something t. this effect
Tom Grover remarked to his brother,
as they stood one evening watching
the two approaching figures. "If you
don't take care" he added, "Perry'lI
carry off the pretty widow under your
nose, for ali Georgie's plans"
"SOOner him than me" said Frank,
with as little gallantry as grammar.
"Georgie's plans never were mine, as
you know, Tom. Besides, I've no
notion of spelling sport, particularly
when it's such an old fox as Perry"
t"And particularly" And here
Tom, dropping his voice mysteriously,
said few words in his brothers ear.
mo n said Frank, incredulously.
"Yes % said Tom. 'AGOt it from
George yesterday"
"Ry JOvew exclaimed Frank, aud
burst into inextinguishsble laughter,
in the midst of which the two came
up. Frank could not at once recover
himself.
"I beg your pardon. Mrs. Vance
Mrs. Gregory, really beg ten thous-
and pardOns," stammered Frank, go-
ing red over his unlucky blunder
then, fearing probably another parox-
ysm, he beat hasty retreat, mutter-
ing eonfusedly something about "a
Joke" Tom, as a married man, per-
haps more hardened, stood his ground,
but he was saved the avkwardness of
an explanation by a newcomer, who
just then rushed up to the pair with
Outstreched hands.
"Ah, Mrs. Gregory, delighted to see
you How do you do, Vance? 1 un-
derstood from your respective moth
ers that you were ruralizing up here