The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-07-28

against him now. Still, 1t was not 80
easy to see how was TO provide for my
self in case IL should become advisable.
What could | do? Draw and sing and
ply tolerablv, but net in manner to
compete with the hosts that would be
in the field against me. Literature? /
had read so many stories whose heroines,
with turn of the pen, dashed into
wealth and fame. That would be very
nice, only-I was not the least bit liter
ary; l had never even kept a journal,
which is saying a great deal for girl in
her teens. The fine arts" then, being
out of the question for me, whatremained?
There was some clerkship, or place in
some family, and-and there was Will
BROMLEY
That raay seem like going away from
the poin> J, but it was not. was mat
ter of-faUt, but l could see well enough
what was going on right under my eyes,
and had pretty clear idea OF what
was bringing Will to the house so often
as he had taken to coming lately. There
was a "situation then, that would
give me the home life liked best and
felt myself best suited for I; but-would
it answer in other respects? overcast
the long seam was sewing twice over,
/ was 80 busy trying to make up my
mind whether l liked Will BROMLEY
well enough 10 pass my whole life with
him and even then / had not come to
any decision, when L was called down
stairs to Lefty Walters.
Lefty was the prettiest, I think, of all
my friends, and certainly the liveliest.
Tom called her &c the tonic" and used
TO laugh heartily at her bright speeches.
i suppose it was this that made mother
fix on Lefty as his choice. When L
came into the sitting-room found kind
OF cross examination going on. 1t was
amusing to any body in the secret, as 1
was, to watch mothers artful way of con-
tinually bringing the conversation round,
as if by chance, to bear on what she
wanted to know. But it all amounted to
nothing, either because Lefty was good
fencer, or because she really had moth
ing to betray. But, when Tom came
home, mother took care to mention that
Lefty had called.
What, the tonic ?" saidTom. "Too
bad missed"
but for your choice being already
uldue, Shlu IuObltT, WIFI ~ COVtTb ScTu-
tiny of his face, 81 dare say you might
have as much of the tonic as you liked. F"
But l go on the homeopathic prin-
ciple, you know" answered Tom, with
a twinkle In his eye.
After that mothers belief in Letty's
guiltiness wavered. Her suspicious were
transferred from one TO another of our
acquaintance, but always with the same
unsatisfactory result.
1t passes my comprehension" she
said to me, despairingly, one day. 81
am positive L could tell the right one by
Toms face in minute, and yet have
mentioned everybody we know"
Perhaps it is somebody we don't
know" l suggested "some friend of
his we have never seen.
"What perfect stranger said
mother, sharply. "Never talk to me,
child TOMS not capable of that"
was silent, for l did not want to
worry her; but that was my opinion all
the same.
The same evening-it was rather more
than n week since Tom had hurled that
thunder-bolt of his at us--mother began
about it openly.
When are you going to introduce
your wife to us, Tom? 1 suppose you
have come to an understanding by this
time"
Oh, there's no hurry" Tom said, as
he had said before but this time did
not speak quite SO cheerfully. "The
fact Is, he continued, there-thcre's
q rival in the case
"a rival " repeate mother, with IN
feeling briskness.
Yes, o young fellow younger by q
assumed an absurdly doleful look. Z" He
is always there now. [ confess l don't
see my way clear; I'm waiting for her
to make up her mind"
"And she's waiting, most likely, for
you to make up yours, said mother,
forgetting, in her propensity to right
matters, that she was playing the ene-
my's gsne.
"There's something in that that new
er occurred to me" said Tom, his face
Frightening. Mother saw her mistake,
and made q counter move at once.
"But the ways of my time are old
fashioned now young ladies, nowadays,
take matters into their own hands. III
she cared for you, you may be pretty
sure she wouldn't have waited till this
time to let you know it-that is, L Judge
by the girls L am in the habit OF seeing !;
but if this one is a stranger TO me"
(here mother riveted her eyes on Toms
face oh, dear. my unfortunate words y
" if she is an entire stranger, / cannot
pretend to form an opinion OF her, of
course"
"Of course" repeated Tom, absently.
"Not that have any such idea," re-
sumed mother, growing warmer; CT
have said, and may say again, that to
bring u perfect stranger under this roof,
is not my opinion OF you, Tom"
/ felt mothers words like so many
pins and needles for Tom was looking
meditatively at me, and, though that
was just way of his, it seemed now as
if he were reading in my face that the
opinion was mine and that had been
meddling in what did not concern me.
/ felt myself, for very vexation, getting
redder every moment, tin it grew intol-
cradle.
cit is so warm here, Il said for an ex-
cuse, turning toward the French win