The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-12-08

a woman old enough to be my mother
because of her wealth. When | con
sidered over these things was sorry fol
Tom Phelan. Marriage, | thought, haC
not raised the tone of his mind.
looked over at him then, and saw 6
4 cheerful look on his round pleasant face
as if something had occurred that made
him very happy. Probably. [ said
mentally, it is one of Mrs. MacFum'
tales that makes this most good tenn
pered of men delighted. When | next
looked at my neighbor, she too, /
thought, had a merry expression in her
eyes that seemed to spring from look
she exchanged with Tom Phelan.
$50 that lady IS to be baby's god
mother?n said. presently, directing my
gaze to the lady in gray silk, with lit
tie bunch of curls co fined by tortoise
shell comb, edged with a row of pearls,
at each side of her thin, pale face.
'-Yes. You must let me Introduce
you Indeed, YOU must know her. She
is one OF the bestand kindest of women. -
l began to wonder if my new friend
was in the plot. too and if she were en-
gagged by Tom and Mrs Tom to lend
her assistance toward the desired end OF
marrying me to this spinster. felt as
if l should like to get up and run away
out of the house and ont of the tolls that
these good people evidently sought TO
ensnare me in; bat the voice of this girl
with the gray-bue eyes, that now
sparkled with humor and anon melted
into tenderness, almost in the 81 me
minute, as only Irish eyes can. held me a
prisoner. / was unwilling to move from
her side.
Though she did not tell me her name.
she told me all about herself in Il frank,
naive manner that completed the charm
she held over me aud made me her faith
full bon3slave from that hour 70 this dav
Her father was in India, she said; she
and her mother were living in Bray dur
ing his absence. She expected him
home next year, when she feared they
would leave dear old Ireland and 90 on
the Continent.
Then, suddenly, in the midst of her
confidential chat, she asked me once
more to cross the room with her and get
introduced TO the lady who was to be
godmOther to Tom Phelan's baby. Be
fore | could answer her She stood up and
waited for me to accompany her. Miss
Fay was the name of the spinster who
was mild, agreeable gentlewoman.
with sad eyes and a gentle manner
When my new friend had introduced me
she suddenly disappeared. Soon after
some people who came in engaged
Miss Fay's attention. and l was left
alone
Then Tom Phelan came up to me,
beaming all over with smiles.
You have not lost much time in
making her acquaintance. Fit. old boy
NO, | answered, dryly, Understand
ing what he meant.
What do YOU think of her?'
He looked at me with his head on one
side and broad smile on his face
q Think of her? She is very amiable."
This in {, stiff tone.
= You viii get on famously together.
She is the woman to make you happy.
old man. This with an air of patron
age and superiority.
= You are very good. said /, hum0'-
ing him, and thinking at the same time
how changed he was
. Now, Fitz. | have arranged thatVOu
shall take in Mrs. Carry to dinner May
viii introduce you. I want to ask YOU
TO make yourself Agreeable to her; not
too agreeable, you know. as you can do
sometimes to women, for she has hus-
band, though he is in India A safe
my GOV.
'.All right / said
Tom hurried away, and Just then din |
ner was announced, the host giving his /
arm to Mrs. MacFum. The hostess I
pointed ont a lady to me. whom / was to /
lake down TO the dining-room, and in /
few minutes we were comfortably seat /
sd. My new friend sat opposite to me.
could see her bright face smiling across
st,s.t ! L I
rAs.aney ~tsa - s----SA-=e essnp
~ n5'5t hutter NJ an S1s1sPled
ray. The lady whom | had taken down.
nd who now sat beside me, was a stout,
woman arrayed in black |
elvet. who spoke very little. | was glad
this latter fact, for | could not, | felt, !
eep up 4 conversation. was listening
, the voice of my new friend, who talked
ell and wittilY with her neighbors. 0c-
she directed an odd sentence I
me across the flowers.
When the dessert was over, my neash-
Or in black velvet with whom Tom
helan had Unnecessarily warned me ,
Ot to tiirt because OF her having a hus-
and in India, took up her fan and COM !
enced TO wave it gently TO and fro.
:. How hot it Isl she sale 10 me, in a
oice as subdued as if she spoke in a /;
lurch.
Yes" replied, 1.-THE night is close. !
1t we should not complain. If we had !
bear that heat that your husband IS at i
resent enduring
Suddenly something went against my y
w friends breath, then every one at +
v end of the table became all at once 7
lent, and saw that THOUGH some of +
EN- seemed grave enough. otAers strove 4
keep themselves from Lang hing out !
ght. Tom Phelan, after = moments f
zen struggle, strove to look Is if moth +
g in particular had happened. VIVA =
as the cause of all this L had not tibet f
ghtest idea, but that something wrong y
d occurred there was no doubt I,
Mrs. Phelan at this instant caught y
rs. MacFum's eve, and rose from the u
BILE; the other ladies followed. My n
ighbor whom, / had taken down, was .
e first to rise. and as she did so gave =
e a whitening look, which long re- |.
i,
When the door was safely closed, "
,m Phelan threw himself back in his )
air and laughed until the tears rolled +,
wn his fat cheeks; the other men Il
ned him, all looking at'me a while. !,
s.What is the joke?' I asked; Il am i,
{ in the cold. y "
My dear fellow, Mrs. Carey, who sat n
xt you, is a widow h
In a moment | saw the blunder l had +,
ade. had taken down the wrong !,
,man to dinner +,
An hour afterward 1 had completely a
gotten my little mistake; for by some h
.anee I had found nyself Blythe side of n
y new friend, who was seated at the q
anO singing loft in the StillV NiOht - n
urned the leaves of the music, bend Il
q over her until touched her once or h
ice. Her voice was soft and sweet; it !,
rred me in a way | had never before y
perienced, and made me strangely \
ppy and sad almost in the same n
mute. When she had finished sing n
:, and whilst I was vet bending over \
r on pretense of closing the book, our f.
es met for q second. hers grew soft | :