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

Aunt ANNIE. MINK 1 u ldhG y "lItb
he said, exactly Is he might have SAID
~ mink Ill take another cup Of cof-
fee"
.erake wife, repeated mother. by
III means receiving the information as
TRANQUILITY " il had been given. What
for?p
well, don't know answered
Tom, thoughtfuIly. cts notion I've
pot into my head somehow
"a II nonsen-e /" said mother, sharp
do you think SOP sald Tom doubt
fully, but not in the least put out.
think so2' ! know il. What II
tile world ean you want Of wife z"
After all these years we have lived So
comfortably together, to bring home
somebody ID turn the house upside
down ! And then what IS To become Of
that poor child Z"
That spour child" that was red
denning it being brought into tho argu-
ment III Tins way, was about to speak
for herself when Tom interposed warm
"
I'm sure May knows | would never
have any wife vino would make it less
III home ior hcr don't you Mary"
eOf course" aald |.
4'And I'm sure she knows nothing oi
lie sort, per i-tcd mother, nor you
either. Tom Dean How can you an
awer for what i wife may take 1t into
her head II dn, when once yon ret her
fixed here You cant expcc her to for
get ~ you do That May has no real
claim IA yan.
Fiat | have nO real clam Oh her, j
suppose you mean, ma'am." Tom put
III for the second time, Just rs ! was
getting thoroughly uncomfortable
Bat for III that, intend 10 keep her
that Is, /" added Tom, with one of his
short sighted hllnks sideways at me,
'a4 long 81 she will stay with me, Ell,
May2 And whoever has anything to
aay against that arrangement will have
q ~ outside nf my house ID say il
nut that AIN afraid OF any such result
III tins case and on tire whole, Aunt
Anne, | should like 81 Try the expert
nient
Mother smiled grimly, but Tom was
so evidently bent on his experiment
NY lie called il, that vhe gave up the ar
gHment.
You 81 II dance il ynu are ready to
ray NE piper, Sic said shortly. And,
pray, hos snon do you mean % be mar
ried2'
Tom. farc fcll little II this ques-
ton
well, said lie, q can't say exactly.
suppose wc shall have TO he engaged
first"
"Whap3 said mother opening her
eyes. why, yon never mean to say,
Tom, that yon haven't spoken To her
YETI
Not y.t, answered Tom, cheerfully.
Time enough for that, you know, af-
Ter have spoken u you.
Well, size said, III II was anybody
else ! should say he was cracked; hut
yen never were like other people, and
yan ncy.r viii he. Tom Dean But, ut
least yon have fixed on the lady p
".lh, YES. answered Tom, shut if
you viii excuse ME, Aunt Anne.
would rather not say anything about
hrr lnAt SGT, ftr IL ii anything should
happen, Il wouldn't he pleasant for
either party, YOU know With which
veIled aIIl4lon u his possible rejection,
fanl took his INT i II left tie room.
Our household was rather queerly
put together There was no particular
reason why should have been III il IT
MI. for was MOI really related To Tom,
nor eycn to mother" rs | called her,
though AMI snrp Nc were as dear ID
each other III any mother and daughter
could he She WAS the second wife Of
MY tather, who. like most ministers,
had hceu richer III grace than III goods,
and left is ~ ms death with very LITTLE,
G. live on Then il WAS that Tom Dean
came forward and insisted On giving L
home Is his aunt and Il ne, whom he
had scarcely seen \ dozen times in his
life before That WAS exactly like Tom
queer Tom Dean is his friends
We're fond Of saving. who never did
anything like anybody else | sup
pose, iii pitc II His clear head for
business. there Is no denying that he
WAS whimsical. hut am sure. when |
think NJ his nntailIng generosity ard
deheacy. | can't help wishing there
We're i few more whimsical people III
tie World
Naturally. 1T tile time | am speak
ing 81, my opinion had not been aske
ALL had III do was Il so where my
mother went and, while She gave her
enercgits G. the housekeeping. | gave
mine 81 growing MI. which by this
time had pretty Well accomplished
But. perhaps fur chat reason one sees
through dltlercnt eyes At twelve and
eighteen MY position iii tile house
had already begun u seem unsatlsfac-
tory t. me. and The mornings words
pat il ii clearer light. SINCE il had
been used liz III argument against
Toms marrying. | knew that mother
had spoken honestly. believing that
such step would not III for his hapai-
ness, tut she was not the best Judge of
that knew him, if reflection should
bring him round Ia her opinion, 10 be
perfectly capable Ut quietly sacrificing
his own wishes far my sake, who had
not the shadow If claim unon him:
50 II must he my part 10 prevent his
own Kindness beng turned against him
now. Still, il was not easy 10 see how
| WAS u provide for myself, III case il
should become advisable What could
| do Draw and sing and play tolera-
h4N h1Ak IstiA Ill ~ kIhIilANA 10 S1lilHGi6
with the hosts that would 81 in the field
against me. Literature? l had read
50 many stories whose heroines, with
turn III the pea, dashed into wealth and
fame. rhat would be very nice,-only
! was not the least bit literary: | had
never even kept journal which is
saving i good deal for a girl in her
teens. The fine arts" then, being out
Of the question for me, what remainedf
There yrs some clerkship, or place
IN some family. and-there was Viii
Bromley.
That may seem like going away from
the point, hut il was not. 1t was mat
ter-of-fact, but | could see well enough
what was going on right under my
eyes, and had pretty clear idea
what was bringing Will TO the honse
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; but-would il answer in other re-
spectsi | overcast the ong seam was