The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1877-01-04

The morning after, Tom and MattY
sat on the piazza he reading, Or pre-
tending to read, while she sewed dill
gently. Neither uttered word for more
than half nm hour.
Presently Matty shook out the muslin
cap she was making, and laid il on her
work-box, pat her littlo silver tllimble
aside, and dropped her hands, one over
the other, into her lap. Then she look
ed up.
Tom was staring straight at her. She
colored violently, ana so, for that mat
ter, did he.
''Tom, she began, ''don't be angry.
Oh, do forgive me ~ She, paused, try
ing to think how she could tell him soft
y; but she went On bluntly. 81 want 20
end our engagement.
$50 do T. reioined he, with difficult
ty suppressing whistle Then both
burst into hearty laugh.
'sYou see, Mat" said Tom, when he
could speak, 81 love some one else.
Metty appeared to be takeu quite by
surprise at his declaration.
''But couldn't help it, indeed could
not. She is
''She is a young lady whose name is
Kate, and her eyes are the blacklist, and
her checks the reddest, and she sings
Under the Stafs' with guitar accompan-
iment," ratified NIatty all in a breath.
1t was Toms turn to stare. sWhere
did you find eli this out ?'' 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 questions
which she feared he might PROFOUND.
ssDut you haven't told me- he call
ed after her.
'fAnd never SHALL" she returned,
| whiskipg into her own room.
In less than an hour she had reconcil-
ed her mother to Fates decree, and
written to Miss Kate Spencer, and per
suaded Tom to write also, and had done
much toward informing the whole village
Of her altered prospects.
In due time Tom was married, MattY
officiating as first bridesmaid.
Matty, after the excitement OF Toms
| wedding, bethought herself what she
should do. There were her summer
dresses to be made up, her music schol-
ars to attend to, the sewing circle and
the flowers but these occupied neither
all her time nor thoughts. There ought
to have been DR.. 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 aud worry, an
eternity,-two weeks,-and then took
measures to bring him to his senses.
She employed only recognized and Ia
dyiike means, however. She began by
flirting little with different gentlemen.
There was VIII Ellis. This young
gentleman had offered himself to our
heroine, on an average, four times e
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 50 many words, that she would accept
all the attention he would offer her dur
ing the next week, taking care toremem-
ber that thissingular declaration proceed
ed not fromany special regardto him, but
was made in pursuance CT some occult de-
sign on her part. For thwith the pair en-
barked uponwhat seemed to be the storm1
est Irritation Skinncrsviile ever saw. In
the long morning they drove or rowed to-
gether; they dined at Mrs. kellicott's,
and Immediately sailed forth on some
other excursion. Both were excellent
equestgians, and Matty gloried in gailop-
ing over hill and dale OH one of Wills
handsome horses. CWiil, by the way,
was the son of q rich mau.) Then they
drank an early tea on the veranda, and
spent the evening at the piano Or IN
reading. at the hour of 9 Matty always
sent Will home, without a particle of
ceremony or regret at his departure. In
short, what appeared to SkinnersviIle as
a serious courtship was, in reality, a
pure business matter, and so understood
between the parties to 1t.
This state of affairs continued for q
week or so, during which time the Doc
tor ignored Matty's existence, except as
she was the daughter of his dear friend,
Mrs. Keiiicott. Aud all the time the
girl was raging inwardly at her quandam
| SuItOr.
''Why don't he ask me at once again?'
she queried, mentally 81 am sure he
loves me, and any one might see that I
love him but can't, and I suppose 1
shall be All old maid
Bat the Doctor was not to blame. A
man of the world would have seen thro'
Natty's stratagem, but he did not he
imagined that she was either trying TO
drown her disappointment az losing Tom,
or had really decided to marry the ena-
mored viii.
The truth occurred TO Matty at last.
She could hardly believe such stupidity
existed IN the mind OF man but she de-
termined to try what modest and retiring e
behavior would effect So she dismissed
VIII and became, to all outward resem-
blances, little nun. Still no advance
Oh the Doctors part. He came and went
constantly to the house, however. Mat