San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-04-13
In due time Tom was married, Matty
officiating AZ first bridesmaid.

should do. There were her summer
dresses to be made up and the flowers
to attend to, but these occupied neither
all her time nor thoughts. There ougii;
to have been DR.. Gibson, too, che 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-two weeks-and then took
measures to bring him to his senses.
She employed only recognized and lady
like means, however. She began by
flirting little with different gentlemen.
There was Will Ellis. This young
gentleman had offered himself to our
heroine, on the average, four times a
year, ever since she was 10.
She had invariably refused him, de-
cidedly 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 attention he
would offer her during the next week,
taking care to remember that this sim
gular declaration proceeded not from
any specific regard for him, but was
made in pursuance of some occult de-
sign on her part.
Forthwith. the pair embarked upon
what seemed the stormiest Irritation
Skinnersville ever saw. In the long
mornings they drove or walked out to-
gether; they dined at Mrs. Kellicott's,
and Immediately sailed forth on some
other excursion. Both were excellent
equestrians, and Matty gloried in gal
Looping "over hill and over dale,"
on one of Wills handsome horses.
(Will, by the bye, was the son of rich
man, Then they drank tea on the
lawn and spent the evening at the piano,
or in reading. At the hour of 10 Matty
always sent viii home without a parti-
Gle of ceremony, or regret at his depart
ure. In short, what appeared to Skin
nersville serious courtship, was, in
reality, purely business matter, and
so understood between the two parties
to it.
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. Kellicott. And all the while the
girl was raging inwardly at her former
sutton.
"Why doesn't he ask me once
againP" she queried, mentally. 81 am
sure he loves me, and any one might
see that 1 love him; but he won't speak,
and can't. 1 suppose I 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 she was either try
ing 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 re-
firing behavior would effect. So she
dismissed Will, and became, to all out
ward resemblance, little nun. Still,
no advances on the Doctors part. He
came and went constantly to the house,
however. Matty gave up all hope,
finally, of ever coming to better I'M
with him, when something
DR.. Gibson " dropped in," one morn
ing, when Mrs. Kellicott sat sewing on
the lawn, in the cool, refreshing breeze.
You mustn't come here" she called,
as he alighted from his gig. "My work
requires my undivided attention. You
may go and help Nlatty, if you like"
That young lady was making tartlets
in the kitchen. She saw the Doctor
coming round the corner of the house,
gave a hurried glance at the bright bot
tom of a 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 in, the day was
so beautiful. He would just stand on
the little brick pavement under the win
dow, and lean over the sill. So there
he stood, under the grapevine trellis,
with little flecks of golden sunshine fall
ing on his hair and shoulders. Matty
observed that he looked thoroughly I'M
loy-or-1il-a aud concludad that he didn,t