The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1876-10-05
WHO MELINDA MARRIED.


WHO MELINDA MARRIED.
$50 you're back again with your old EN-
ployers. and at frst-class salary. I'm
very glad. assure you, and SO will my hus-
band be when tell HIM. Sorry you can't
stay to tea with us on account of the chill
dren How old Is your eldest. Tommy
Lei me see" The individual addressed
balanced his hat between his knees on both
little fingers. and carefully studied ITS in
terror, as though the information he sought
lu ked somewhere under the lining.
great, blonde bearded man, but he always
WAS and always would be Tommy. Never
being able to rid himself of Il certain awk-
ward bash.ulness, Lor ever having lost the
big, innocent eyes. honest mouth anI ruddy
complexion that made hlm look like an
oversrown schoolboy "Amanda's eleven
this June. Lucy WAS nine in February.
| Melinda seven. and VInnie-that's the baby
my wife LETT. you know-wl!l be three TO-
morrow"
All girls ''
''Yes ma AN. all girls
How long since you left the city"
LET me see. and Tommy AGAIN consult
ed his hat IL left the spring wis twen-
ty-one. didn't |? Wtll. I've been away
thirteen years. married Amanda White
Just SIX months after / left"
She made good wife, didn't she" !"
'''Fhe very best, but, then. it wasn't as
| thou ii Id married Melinda.
"No. suppose not; and yet, Tommy. l
tell you. as I've always told you. Melinda 5
not altogether worthy OF you. Not that she
sn t good -princip,ed, warm-heartel, and
all that, but her views of life are false"
Then you TANK there's no chance for
me Is anybody else IN the way p
| Nobody. and never has been. excepting
the girl her self. 70 my certain Kno.sltdge,
she had but one offer besii yours That
WAS from oil Mr.. iluiks, the great supper.
| thought MsIind. would teat his eyes out.
! So. you See, SHE won't marcy merely tol
money
Still. you think there's no chance for me
| darcn't ,lsk her, YOU knos, she sad the
last tilne-when | came on after Amanda
died. you remember that If ever did 1t
AGAIN she'd never speak to me-.
Saying that she meant it, best not to
venture Let matters take their course.
See her us often rs possible, but kecp a
certain distance. Maybe thin, S rlll work
around somehow. Shes got III r...h II new
set lately-clever peopie-but they have a
fancy they've discovered new way to put
the world to rights, and are just the ones
to do 1t. It's all well enough, suppose
Amuscs them and don t hurt anybody, buI
I'm out of patience, for all. See here
Tommy, Eve an idea She visits the Park
the day TIL. society mcets-that's to-mor
row--to commune with nature, she says.
know her fsLvorlte spot; shes always alone
YOU 90 there, take the children. aud gel
| somewhere near her.
take the children! I'd frighten hsl
miles and miles away. ..-. .
"No, you wouldn't. The more reflect
! on this plan, the better | like it. ASK
for half holiday. gather up your girls, anc
go"
The day was all that could be desired
A May-blue sky, with drift of clouds like
departing snow across it; warm, penetrat
ing sunbeams; soft airs, alive with chll
'dren' S voices and bird-warbings. Yet could
not my heroine find herself in harmony
with the scene. She succeeded in securing
her faxorite seat i'll the Park, IL niche or
the hillside, with au intcri, eng OF bou.hs
and glimpses of rock and river. 1t con
tanned only two settees, .r..- f9
Melinda met Tommy Whittlesy just a
he was leaving the afternoon previous
Somehow those big, blue, reproachful eye
met hers whichever way she looked. Nor
especially did they haunt the page sh
tried in vain to read, and moved in he
pencils wake when sne turned to writing
for relief Not that she cared for thcl
owner. Oh, never Il particle. ANY tim'
since her fifteenth birthday, she had but t.
say. 81 love you to make Tommy the hap
piest Of men. Yet she never did say it
never intended saying it. True, life wa
unsatisfactory. One dream after anothe
faded; still there was hope of her be
coming something, being somebody tie'
to Tomny.lthat WAS gomez As Mrs. Whit
tiesy. her days would be bounded 9on tn
east by breakfast, south by dinner,. mort
by supper, and west by a basket Of undarn
ed stockings. *s,srts..g .e #a sfr-.
4 n Was theresever--ro,. there never was
such impudence Tommy Whittlesy am
! one, two, three, four feminine Whittleys
walking in upon her seelusion quite as
matter of course. YET, no.. not altogethe
80. Tommy swaye awkwardly from sid
Ito side an instant, then, with a, lift OF the
hat and q scrape meant for bow, turned
as red as the Giant of Battles, and drop
ned upon the other bench, also upon her
shawl. nlg....f.t.---..
mTbis is Miss Denver. children" and
Tommy almost stammered IN his empar-
rassnnent. "Come and speak to the
lady,. sas vo5r Is y, ss DO aa. .9s 4
4 To rise and leave would be an acknoWi-
edgementsof weakness; 80, outwardiy cool'
yet inwardly burning, Melinda, kept her
seat, turning her attention to the children.
A pink dressed brood, each one trifie