The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1877-07-25

he inquired, strengthening up and
squaring his shoulders, as if proud of
his proportions.
"No, Matty," he continued solemn
ly, though with merry twinkle in
the honest eyes, "work, as Mrs. Bow
ers frequently remarks, is pannyky."
Matty understood him and colored
crimson.
At last Tom was pronounced out Of
danger, and now the doctor felt that
he must romove himself and his be-
longings from Mrs. Kellicott's house to
his own. Matty, hidden by the hon
eysuckle vines over the piazza, watch
ed him go and cried little.
The morning after, Tom and Matty
sat on the piazza; he reading, or pre-
tending to read, while she sewed dill
gently, neither uttering a. word for
more than half an hour.
Presently Matty shook out the mus
lin cap she was making and laid it en
her work box, put her 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, "don't be angry.
Oh, do forgive me -" She paused,
Arying TO think how she could tell
bin softly but she went on bluntly,
Il want to end our engagement"
$50 do T." rejoined Re, with difficult
ty repressing whistle. Then both
burst into 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 this declaration.
"But 1 couldn't help it, indeed l
couldn't, She is"
''She is a 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 ac
compartment" 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, etc. think
I'll go and write to my future cousin"
and off she ran, glad to escape the
question which she feared he might
PROFOUND.
"But you havn't told me-" he call
cd after her.
"And never SHALL" she returned,
whisking into her room.
In less than an hour she had recon-
ciled 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 pros
poets.
In due time Tom was married, Mat
ty 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 neith-
er all her time nor her thoughts.
There ought to have been DR.. Gibson,
too, she could not hel p thinking; bat
that gentleman, instead Of falling at
her feet, as soon as he heard she was
free, paid no more attention than be-
fore. She waited for him, in growing
wonder and worry, an eternity-two
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
I.gentleman had offered himself to our
heroine on an average of four times a
year, ever since she was fifteen. She
| had invariably refused him, decidedly
and emphatically; but they were the
best friends in the world. She now
told him in so many words that she
would accept all the attentions 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 from some occult design on
, her part. Forthwith the pair embark.
ed upon what seemed to be the storm
lest Irritation Skinnersville ever saw
In tho long mornings they drove OF
rode together; they dined at Mrs
KeIlicott's and Immediately after sail
! ed forth on some other excursion
t Both were excellent equestr:ans and
) Matty colored in g1lloping over hill
, and dale on one of Wits handsome
horses. (Wi!l, by the way, was a rich
mans SOM Then they drank an early
tea on the verauda, and spent the ev-
ening at the piano, or in reading. Al
, thn hnnr Of ninn Mnttv nlwnvs sanI