Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-07-07

SEWING tNAOC ONclJ L ndo 81 puof u gbS /
to make up my mind whether / like
Will Bromley well enough to pass my
whole life with him; and even then J
had not come to any decision, When
was called down stairs to Lefty |
Walters.
Lefty was the prettie.t, l think, OF
all my friends, and certainly the liveli-
est Tom called her "the tonic" and |
used to laugh heartily at her bright
speeches. | suppose it was this tina
made mother fix on Lefty as his
choice. When / came into the sitting
room I found kind of cross-examina-
ton going on. 1t was amusing to any
body in the secret, as | was, to watch /
the mothers artful way of continually !
bringing the conversation round, as If |
by chance, to bear on what she wanted |
to know. But it allmounted to moth |
ing either because Lefty was too good
a fencer or because she really had
nothing to betray. But when Tom
came home mother took care to men,
ton that Lefty had called.
what, the tonic said Tom. TOO
bad | missed her"
But for your choice being alreday
made said mother, with covert scru-
tiny of his face, II dare say you might
have as much of the tonic as you liked"
"But go on the homeopathic princi-
Die, you know, answered Tom, with a
twinkle in his eye.
After that mothers belief in Letty'5
transferred from one TO another of our
acquaintance, but always with the same
unsatisfactory result
at passes my comprehension" she
said TO me despairingly, one day. 81 am
positive / could tell the right one by
Toms face IN a minute, and yet have
mentioned everybody we know"
perhaps it is somebody we don't
know" / suggested; some friend Of
MS we have never seem,
"Whatl a perfect stranger" said
mother, sharply. Never talk to me,
child; Toms not capable of that''
was silent, for did not want to wor-
ry her; butthst WAS my opinion all the
same.
The same evening-it was rather
more than week since Tom had hurled
that thunder bolt of his at us mother
DfRdil dDOut IL Op6Hly.
When are you going to introduce
your wife to us, Tom, / suppose you
have come to an understanding by this
time,
con, there's no hurry" Tom said, as
lie had said before; but this time he did
not speak quite SO cheerefully. "The
fact il" he continued, with little hosi-
tation, "there-there's a rival IN the
case"
"A rival" repeated mother, with I'M
feeling briskness.
Eyes, a young fellow-younger by a
good deal than / am" and Toms face
assumed doleful look. ''He il al
why's there now. ! confess | don't see
my way clear; am 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
motters, that she was playing the enc
my's name.
There's something in that that never
occurred to me-" said Tom, his face
Frightening. Mother saw her mistake
and made counter move at once.
"But the ways Of my time are old
fashioned now young ladies, nova
Gays take matters into their own hands.
If she cared for you, you may be pretty
sure she wouldn't have waited until this
time to let you know it-that is, | Judge
by the girls am in the habit Of see
ing but if this one is stranger to
me" there mother riveted her eyes
on Toms face oh, dear, my unfortu-
nate words \ "If she is an entire
stranger, | cannot pretend to form any
opinion of her, of course.
"Ofcourse," repeated Tom, ahsently.
mot that | have any sHch idea, re
samed mother, growing warmer 81
have said and ] say again, that To bring
4 perfect stranger under this roof is not
my opinion Of you, Tom.
| felt mother words like so many
pins and needles for Tom was looking
meditatively across 1T me, and though
that was just u 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
vexatlon getting redder every moment,
till it grew intolerable.
at il SO warm here" | said for an
excuse, turning toward the French
window, I'm going ont to get u breath
of fresh air."
went out into our little strip Of gar
den ground Tom followed thought
| should never have better opportu-
nifty TO say what ] had in my mind to
say, so waited for him hy the bench
under the old pear tree. "Slt down
here, Tom" said, Pye something to
say to you
Have you2 said Tom; that's odd.
for well, never mind that just yet
What is i, Mary"
TON. | said, still surer that he had
misjudged me, and more resolved TO set
him right, Il want place"
"a place. repeated Tom, puzzled, us
wen he might be, by this sudden and
indefinite announcements; what kind
of a placer"
Il don't know" | said, for indeed
my ideas were of the vaguest |
thought You might know, being in the
way If those things. Now. pray, Tom,
| went on quickly, don't fancy / am
discontinued, or-or anything of that
sort; the truth il, ever since ! left of
school have wanted something to do,
and had it in my mind to speak TO you
about il.
With this looked at Tom, fearing
he might be vexed but he did not look
vexed, only pre- occupied.
do know Of place. rs il hap
pens" he said after while, only I'm
not sure how it would suit YOU.
That's soon seen, said |. What il
it like?"
well, its sort of Of general use
fulness
why, il must be to run errands, -"
said laughing. And where is it,
Tom 2"
well, said Tom, hesitating again,
T" it's with me-
How very nice 4 exclaimed. How
soon can have il -
The sooner the better, So far Is
am concerned" said Tom, and with
that lie turned and looked at me, and
directly | met his eyes l knew some
how nj! in moment. what il was he
meant and | knew. too. both that |
could not have passed all my life with
VIII Bromley, and why | could not.
am sure Lefty Walters, who inter-