Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-01-05
VOL 80.
'Tom, what would you do if I should

1Om StIOhou LIS uOWuy upper LIP, dl1U
looked pensive.
"Couldn't say" he replied, after some
moments Of reflection. "You might try
and see?"
"Perhaps [ will, " she replied, more So
berly than the occasion seemed to warrant.
Tom stared very hard at her, but imme-
diately forgot the incident.
Nearly a year passed. One day Mrs.
Kellicott's snelp" rushed frantically into
DR.. Gibson's house, and breathlessly an
nounced to that gentleman that "Mr. Tom
would be deader'n a door nail long before
he got there, if he didn't jump" Fol- two
seconds, thinking of him as his rival in
Matty's affections. the Doctor had half a
mind to consign him to the tender mercjes
of good, stupid old DR.. Wells; but his bet
ter nature prevailed, aud he started for
Mrs. kellicott's at the very heels of the
| servant girl.
When he arrived he found Tom in high
! fever and delirious. He pronounced it a
severe case of typhoid fever, and privately
added a doubt that he would recover. He
sent to his own house for changes of cloth
ing, prepared to devote himself to the sick
man. Matty, too, was unwearied in her
work, and, being necessarily much in
Toms room. consequently saw the doctor
constantly. He and his patient presented
a marked contrast to each other. The lat
/! ter was captious and peevish to an unheard
of degree, and talked almost necessarily
of some unknown being named Kate. On
the other hand, DR.. Gibson was SO patient
and gentle, so strong and helpful, doing
so much for Tom, and not forgetting one
of his accustomed duties, that Matty
opened her eyes in admiring establishment.
One morning, as the Doctor prepared a
sleeping draught for somebody. and dicta-
ted to Matty a prescription for somebody
| else, she said with real solicitude I
CDR. Gibson. you will certainly kill
yourself If you keep on at this rate; and
tbs my belief that you are oyerworked,
and you ought to take a rest"
"Do [ appear to be at deaths door," he
inquired, STRENGTHENING up, and squaring
his shoulders, as if proud of his proper
tons. mo Matty," he continued solemnly
| though with a merry twinkle in the homes
| eyes, "work, as Mrs. Bowers frequently
remarks, is a %pannaky.'' Matty under-
stood him and colored crimson.
At last Tom was pronounced out of dan
| ger, and now the Doctor felt that he must
remove himself and his belongings from
Mrs. Kellicott's house to his own. Matty
hidden by the honey suckle vines over the
piazza, watched him go, and cried a little.
The morning after, Tom and Matty sat
on the piazza, he reading, Or pretending to
read, while she sewed diligently. Neither
uttered a word for more than half all
hour.
Presently Matty shook out the muslin
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.
"Tom," she began, s'don't be angry. Oh,
do forgive me !" She paused, trying to
| think how she could tell him softly; but
she went ON 'bluntly, II want to end our
engagement
$50 do l." rejoined he, with difficulty
suppressing a whistle. Then both burst
in o a hearty laugh.
"You see, Mat" said Tom, when he
could speak, ST love some one else"
Matty appeared to be taken quite by
| surprise at this declaration.
"But [ couldn't help it, indeed I couldn't
She isl
"She is a young lady whose name is
Kate, and her eyes are the BLACKLIST, and
her cheeks the reddest, and she sings"Un-
der the Stars' with guitar accompani-
ment,'' ratified Matty all in q breath.
1t was Toms turn to stare. "Where
did you find all this out?" he asked.
"My dear little bird, ect, 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.
"But you haven't told me- he called
after her.
"And meyer SHALL - she returned, wnis-
king into her own room.
In less than an hour she had reconciied
her mother to Fate's decree, and written
to Miss Kate Spencer, and persuaded Tom
to write also, and had done much toward
informing the whole village of her altered
prospects.
In due time Tom was married, Matty Of
floating 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 scholars 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 thar before.
She waited for him, in growing wonder
and worry, al eternity-two weeks-and
then took measures to bring him to his
senses.
She employed only recognized and lady
like means, however. She began by firt-
ing a little with other gentlemen.
There was VIII Ellis. This young gen
tleman had offered himself to our heroine,
on an average four times a year, eversince
she was fifteen. She had Invariably re-
fused him, decidedly and empbatically;
but they were the best of friends in th e
world. She now told him in so many
words, that she would accept all the atten-
ton he would offer her during the next
week. taking care to remember that this
singular declaration proceeded not from
any special regard for him, but was made
in pursuance of some occult design on her
part. Forthwith the pair embarked upon