Marshall County Republican., 1877-02-01


| the other, into her lap. Then she looked
up.
Tom was staring straight at her. She
colored violently, and so, for that mat
ter, did he.
"Tom," she began, /" don't be angry.
J Oh, do forgive mel" She paused, try
| ing to think how she could tell him
softly but she went on bluntly, 81
want to end our engagement"
$50 do do l." rejoined he, with diff
Guilty suppressing 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 / couldn't help il, indeed /
couldn't. She is"
"She is young lady whose name is
Kate, and her eyes are the blackest, and
her cheeks the reddest, and she sings
Under the Stars with guitar-accompa-
niment," ratified Matty all in breath.
1t was Toms turn to stare. "Where
did you find all this out ." he asked.
"My dear little bird, etc. think
III go and write to my future cousin !"
and off she ran, glad to escape the ques-
tions which she feared he might pro-
pound.
But 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 bad recon-
ciled her mother to Fate's decree, and
written to Miss Kate Spencer, and per-
suaded Tom to write also, and had done
much toward informing the whole vii
lage 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
scholars to attend to, the scwing-c -cle
and the flowers but these occupied
neither all her time DOR thoughts. There
ought TO have been DR.. Gibson, too, she
could not help thinking but that gen.
t.eman, 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 two weeks and
then took measures to bring him to HIM
to his senses.
She employed only recognized and
ladyiike means, however. She began
by flirting a little with different gentle
men.
There was Will Ellis. This young
gentleman had offered himself to our
heroine, on an average, four times
year. ever since she VAS 10. She had
invariably refused hiD, decidedly s7d
EN- phatically but they were the best
of friends in the world. She now told
him in so many words, that she co.,'d
accept all the attention he would of er
Ter during the next week, taking ca e
to remember that this singular declara-
ton proceeded not from any special re-
gard for him, but. was made in pursu-
ance of some occult design on her pant.
Forthwith the pair embarked upon whas
seemed to be the stormiest Irritation
Skinnersviile ever saw. In the long
morning they drove or rode together
they dined at Mrs. Killicott's, and i'm
mediately after sailed forth on some
other excursion. Both were excellent
equestrians, and Matty gloried in gal
looping over hill and dale, on one OF
Wills handsome horses. (Will, blythe
by. was the son of o rich man. Then
they drank an early tea on the ver'nda
and spent the evening at the piano or
in reading. At the hour OF ., Matty
always sent Will home, without parti-
Gle Of ceremony or regret at his de-
parture. In short, what appeared to
Skinnersville as a serious courtship was,
in reality, q pure business mater, and
so understood between the two parties
to il.
This state OF affairs continued for
week or so, during which time the doc
tor ignored Matty's existence, except as
she was the daughter of his dear friend,
Mrs. Killicott. And all the time the
girl was raging inwardly at her quandaIn
suitor.
ssWhy don't he ask me at once sgain ."
she queried, mentally; "I am sure he
loves, and any one might see that love
him but / can't. and suppose l shall
be an old maid"
But the doctor was not to blame. A
man of the world would have seen
through Matty's stratagem, but he did
not he imagined that she was either
trying to drown her disappointment at
losing Tom, or had really decided TO
marry the enamored Will.
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 rstir-
ing behavior would effect. So she dis
missed Will, and became, to all outward
resemblapces, little nun. Still no ad-
vance on the doctors part. He came
and went constantly to the house, how
ever. Matty gave up all hope, finally.
of ever coming to a better under
standing with him, when something hap
pened.
DIR. Gibson dropped in one morn
ing, when Mrs. Killisott sat sewing on
the pleasant veranda in the cool, re-
freshing breeze.
"You mustn't come here" she called,
as he tied his horse to the hitching post.
"My york requires my undivided at
tention besides, you'll step on the ruff
fes. You msy 60 and help Matty, II
you like"
That young woman was making pies
in the kitchen. She saw the doctor
coming round the corner of the house,
gave hurried glance at the bright bot
tom of tin pan she was holding, found
herself presentable, and greeted him
composedly. She was very glad to see
him, she said. Wouldn't he come in.
No. he wouldn't come iD, the day was
so beautiful. He would just stand on
little brick pavement under the win
dow, and lean over the sill.
So there he stood under the grape
vine trellis, with little golden sunshine
falling over his hair and shoulders.
Mstty observed that he look ed thorough
ly unloverlike, and concluded that he
didn't intend to propose. She also no
ticed a rip in his coat, and wondered
who would mend it for him.
Someway the talk veered round from
the weather to woman's rights.
Matty, on this, spoke up.
She didn't at all believe in the second
hand influence which reached the ballot
box through the agency of husbands and
brothers. when 1 vote," she said,
ct want to march TO the polls and put
in nv own vote my own SELF"