The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-12-06

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strong and helpful, doing so much for
Tom, and yet not forgetting one of his
accustomed duties, that Matty opened
her eyes in establishment.
One morning, as the Doctor prepared
a sleeping draught for somebody, and
dictated to Matty a prescription for
somebody else, she said with real So
lieitude:
cdr. Gibson. you will certainty kill
yourself if you keep on at this rate
and it's my belief that you are over.
worked, and you ought to take good
rest.'
do I appear to be at death s door p
he inquired, Strengthening up, and
squaring his shoulders, as if proud of
his proportions. ''No, Matty,'' he con-
tinued solemnly, though with a merry
twinkle in the honest eyes, ''Work, as
Mrs. Bowers frequently remarks, is a
pannaky.' Matty understood him and
colored crimson.
At last Tom was pronounced out of
danger, and now the doctor felt that
he must remove himself and his be
longings from Mrs. Kellicott's house
to his own. Matty, hidden by the
honeysuckle-vines, over the piazza,
watched him 60 and cried a little.
The morning after, Tom and Matty
sat on the piazza; he reading, or pre-
tending to read, while she sewed dill.
gently. Neither uttered a word for
more than half an hour.
Presently Matty shook out the mus
lin cap she was making, and laid it on
her wOrk.bOx, put her little silver
thimble aside. and dropped her hands,
one over the other, into her lap. Then
she looked up.
Tom was staring straight at her.
She colored violently, and so, for that
matter, did he.
s'Tom," she began. s'don't be angry.
Oh, do forgive me!' She paused, try
ing to think how she could tell him
softly but she went on bluntly, Il
want to end our engagement
$50 do I, rejoined he, with difficult
ty suppressing a whistle. Then both
burst into a hearty laugh.
"You see, Mat,'' said Tom when he
could speak, 81 love some one else.''
Matty appeared to be taken quite by
surprise at his declaration.
''But I couldn't help it, indeed
couldn't. She is -
''She is young lady whose name is
Kate, and her eyes are the blacklist,
and her cheeks the reddest, and she
sings under the Stars with guitar &C.
companiment,' ratified Matty all in a
breath.
It was Toms turn to stare, ssWhere
did you find all this out O. he asked.
my dear little bird. etc. I think
I'll go and write to my future cousin;"
and off she ran glad to escape the ques-
lions which she feared he might pro-
pound.
.sBut you haven't told me- he
called after her.
"And never SHALL" she returned,
whisking into her own room.
In less than an hour she had recon-
clled her mother to Fate's decree, and
written to Miss Kate Spencer, and per-
suaded Tom to write also, and had
done much towards informing the
whole village of her altered prospects.
In due time Tom was married .Matty
officiating as first bridesmaid.
Matty, after the excitement of
Tom s wedding, bethought herself
what she should do. There were her
summer dresses to be made up, her
music scholars to attend to, the sew
ing circle and the flowers; but these
occupied neither all her time nor
thoughts. There ought to have been
DIR, Gibson, too, she could not help
thinking but that gentleman, instead
OF falling at her feet as soon as he
heard she was free, paid her no more
attention than before. She waited for
him in growing wonder and worry, an
eternity,-tw0 weeks,-and then took
measures to bring him to his senses.
She employed only recognized and
ladylike means, however. She began
by flirting little with different gen.
tlemen.
There was Will Ellis. This young
gentleman had offered himself to our
heroine, on an average, four times
year, ever since she was Is. She had
invariably refused him, decidedly and
emphatically but they were the best
of friends in the world. She now told
him in so many words, that she would
accept all the attention he would offer
her during the next week, taking care
to remember that this singular decla-
ration proceeded not from any special
regard for him, but was made in Dur.
suance Of some occult design on her
part. Forthwith the pair embarked
on what seemed to be the stormiest