Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-09-30


to me desparingly one day I" / am positive
l could tell the right one by Toms face in
minute, ard yet l have mentioned every
body that We know"
perhaps it is somebody we don't know, !"
l suggested some friend of his we have
never seeD."
What a perfect stranger?" said
mother, sharply. Never talk to me,
child Toms not capable of that!'
was silent, for did not want to worry
her but that was my opinion all the same.
The same evenIng-is was rather more
than a week since Tom had hurled that
thunderbolt of his az us-mother began
about it openly.
when are you going to introduce your
wife to US, Tom? l 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 ne did not
speak quite SO cheerfuliy. "The fact is, :"
he continued, with a little hesitation,
there's-there's rival in the case"
"A rival" repeated mother, with IN
feeling br.skness.
Yes, young fellow-younger by a
good deal than am" and Toms face as
sumed an absurdly doleful look. "He is
always there row. / confess I don't see
my way clear I'm waiting for her to make
up her mind"
4" And she's waiting most likely for you
to make up yours" said mother, forgetting
in her own propensity to right matters, that
she was playing the enlmy's game.
There's something IN that that never
occurred to me, said Tom, his face bright
ening. Mother saw her mistake and made
a ccunter-moye at once.
Bus the ways OF my time are old fash
toned now; young ladies, nowadays, take
matters into their own hands. Ii she cared
for you, you may be pretty suye she
wouldn's have waited till tais time to let
you see it that Is, / judge by glrls | am
in the habit OF seeing, but # this one is a
stranger to me" (here mother riyeted her
eyes on TOMS face oh, dear my uniorta-
nate words , IF she Is al entire stranger
| cannot pretend to form any opinion OF her,
OF course"
{" OF course, repeated Tom. absently.
4" Not thai | have any sueh idea, re-.
sumed mother, growing warmer; II have
said, and l say a gain, that to bring per-
feet stranger under this roof, is not my
opinion OF you, Toni"
felt mothers words like SO mary pins
anu hGGuiSb AhL loul was ltbAlAlA l4cNf-
tatively across at me, and, though that was
| just a 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 yexation getting rsdder every mo.
ment, till it grew lntolerable.
at is SO warm here" ! said, for an ex-
cuse, turning toward the French window.
/ I - l. -
/ went into our little strip OF garden
ground Tom followed. | thought |
Should never have better opportunity to
waited for him By the bench under the old
pear tree.
sit down here, Tom," l said, "Pve
something 20 say TO you"
Have you!' said Tom. "That's odd,
! for well, never mind that, Just yet.
What is it, My
misjudged me, and more resolved to set
myself right, - want place"
- don'G know" | said, for, indeed, my
you might, being in the way of those
things. Now, pray, Tom," went on
quickly, "don't fancy l am discontented,
OI-OI liAll5 VI LHdb EbIb LttG JEuGu Is,
ever since l lef5 school L have wanted
something to do, and mad il in my mind to
speak to you about il.
With this looked at Tom, fearing he
might be vexed, but ne did not lock vexed,
| only preoccupied.
Il do know of place, as it happens, F"
he said, after while, only Tn not sure
how it would suit you"
- .,
it like D."
"Well, it's sort OFT general useful
ness"
why, it must be to run errands," said
|, laughing. "And where is IL, Tom?
Well" said Tom, hesi5aring again,
sits with me"
q" How very NIGEL" I exclaimed. "How
! soon can | have it "
The sooner the better, SO far as am
concerned" said Ton, aud with that he
| turned round and looked at me, and di-
rectly met his eyes | knew somehow, all
in a moment, what it was he meant and |
knew, too, both that ] could not have
why l could not.
| an sure that Lefty Walters, who in.
terrupted US just then, nluss have thought
7,
and, indeed, they were, for l was com.
pletely dazed with the sudden turn thinra
had taken. But Tom, who had the adj,
vantage OF me there, took it quite coolly,
and laughed and talked with Lefty Just the
same as ever till she went away.
Il was pretty late when we went in.
Mother sat where we hi left her knitting
in the twilight.
wasn't that Lefty Walters with you a
while age Z" she said, as we came up.
"Yes, said l, with confused feeling
OF an explanation of something being neces.
sary; "she just came to bring the new
crochet pattern she promised me. -
" HIM :" said mother, as much as to say
she had her own ideas as to what Lefty
came for.
Tom had been wandering about the room
in an absent sort of fashion, taking up and
putting down in the wrong places all the
small objects that fell in his way. He
came up and took a seat by mother. |
became of sudden very busy with the
plants in the window, for l knew he was
going to tell her.
Wish me joy, Aunt Anne" said he.
"It's all settled"
"Settled, is it - said mother, in any
thing but joyful tone. so It's as sus.
pected all along. Well, you have my best
wishes, Tom perhaps You may be happy
together after ALL Pm sure I nope so.
This wasn't very encouraging sort OF
congratulation, and Tom seemed rather
taken back by it.
% I'm sorry you're not pleased" he said,
after pause; II had an idea, somehow,
you would be. "
= don't know from WHAT you Judged.
But there Is no use crying over split milk.
You'll be married directly, presume. /
must be looking out for house, and
mother stroked her nose refsctively with
a knitting needle.
:" WhaV for?" SAID Tom 81 thought OF
keeping On here all tbs came"
never supposed Otherwise" mother
said. "Oi course l did not expect TO turn
you out OF your Own house"
''Bd: what is the need Of looking out for
another, then p
Why, for myself"
50 For yourself !" repeated Tom, in tone
OF utter amaz sment. Going to leave us
just now: Why, aunt Anne, l never heard
of such thing! %
Now, Tom," said mother, speaking
very fast and making her needles fly in
concert, eve might as well come to al I'm.
derstauding on this subject. am fully
sensible of your past kindness; now Just let
me tinish-I say appreciate it, and have
er,,. i 1.