Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-09-02

never occurred to me even to be angry at
Toms affectionate attitude. And yet it
was sll true ; the dog-cart and the mare had
vanished, and !, weak and giddy, was sit
ting by the roadside, leaning against this
meekest and contritest of cousins.
900, Lefty, " said Tom, in o voice that
was absolutely low and husky, scan you
forgive me!' Oh. Lefty, my darling,
nearly killed you. When we were shot out
of that besstly trap, and picked you up,
you had tainted, and ! thought you were
dead. But You are all right, amt You :?
saysyou are all right, Lefty"
|. There were two big tears in Toms kind
eyes as he gazed anxiously at me. was
all right, so right, indeed, that 1 am con-
WINGED my strongest feeling at that partic.
ular moment was one of triumph that fate
and | together had reduced Tom to such
an abject condition. Possibly he discerned
something of tie kind in my tell-tale face,
for he smiled and breathed sigh of relief.
And then ne blushed deep red through
his brown skin.
Lefty, give me a kiss-iust one kiss"
Why? On, Tom, can't, can't"
yes, you can, just one because you
hate me-" said Tom illogically, and 30,
without waiting my permission, he took me
| in his big, strong arms and held me. And
| a strange and sudden knowledge came to
| me that our hate was not hate after all but
only love in disguise. For indeed, from
| time lmmemorial. mythical and historical,
| has not the foolish young god been prone
| TO disguise? As we sat hand in hand, gaz.
| ing at each other, there was no need for
speech, and Tom and | were both silently
agreed that we had loved each other all
our lives.
But at last he spoke: "Letty, do Won
remember the fret time ever saw You ?"
" Yes; it was at grandpapa's house at
1wlckenham. We were a party of chill.
dren playing together, and horrid little
boy wanted to put some earwigs down nv
back. and you wouldn't let him."
L gave him jolly thrashing and made
him eat one of his own earwigs And the
second time l saw you, Lefty, you cried
because | made you sit in cherry tree
and wouldn't allow you to come down until
you had eaten the cherries had picked for
you"
And my French governess cried also,
and said you had bad heart"
" So she did. Well, the third time we
met, you were grown up and wouldn't
speak to me at all, 60 it was my turn to be
in Coventry"
"And how about Jerry?' asked after
pause.
She is in the sand.pit, probably.
tried to upset the trap to save US from
worse destruction. l kidn't know exactly
wha to do" added Tom ingenuously.
But the old mare disapproved of nv
plans, and split US, and went on her way
rejoicing"
''Oh, Tom p
80 now you must walk home, Lefty.
Or stay, let US go as far as that white farm.
house 1t will do you good to rest bit,
anyhow"
We walked awhile, and then, at a turn
IN the road, we came upon Jerry, quietly
grazing by the hedge, the broken reins
banging loosely about her neck, and the
old dog cart, scarcely injured, still at her
heels. Sic allowed Tom to 90 IN to her
and stroke her neck and examine her hooks
and fetlocks with learned hand, and lead
her flor abe was not in the least hurt) in
the direction of the farm.
Then Tom, who was o master in such
work, embarrassed Jerry and took her
rOundto the stables, tended her and washed
her, and mended the dog-cart with sundry
ropes and bits of wood, thereby earning
the unbounded admiration and respect OF
half a dozen lontish laborers, while l sat
In the good wife's parlor drinking tea. and
endsavoring TO ascertain the exact ages of
her nine children.
1t was late afternoon, almost evening
when Tom and | SET out on our homeward
drive. The aspect of the LANDSCAPE had
altogether changed. The sun, though not
yet set, was hidden behind bank OF shin.
ing clouds; the quiet sea Law Ike burn
lshei silver in the distance. The green
ness OF the earth seemed to have given
place to subtle and harmonious tones of
gray, and over our happy spirits had fallen
radiant veil of silent, calm delight that
was somewhat similar. Tom drove slowly:
every now and then he turned toward me
his joyous, loving eyes, and l stole my
hand gently into his.
1t was dark when we reached home.
Aunt Nab was in an agony of kindly solic-
itude, aHxiously expecting u.s.
WAY, Lettie-why, my dear, how late
you are ~
"Oh, no, it is not late, suntie, surely"
"But it is. And you have had such
long day, you poor dear And you have
been with Tom after all. Why, was pos.
itiveiy afraid something had happened.
Has he been very rude, my dear, and
bothered you very much ?"
"Oh, Aunt Nab, Tom is never really
rude !"
"Well, don't know You said 80 YOUR
self, sometimes. Bat, never mind, the
longest day comes Co an end, child"
Dear Aunt NAB, it has been lovely
In Af1lNy -
My aunt stared at me with undisguised
amazement. Have you lost your senses,
child?"
"She did at one time" said Tom, com.
posedly, But she has found them now"
And then he laughed, a happy and very
loud laugh that somehow did not jar upon
my nerves in the very least. and then he
seized hold of Aunt Nab by both her hands
and Rugged her rapturously.
The truth ia, Lefty aud l are going to
be married, and SO we mean to spend ever
so many long days together"
We'll, " said Aunt Nab, as soon as she
had regainsd her breath, "people do say
that 1t Is well to begin with little aver
siou."
but it was the dog cart" pleaded in
coherently.
an, L see, sald Aunt NAB, noddlng
her head.
But she did not see, quite. For none but
Tom and | could possibly know how happy
we were at that time, and what is more,
none can know how truly and intensely
happy we have been since then. We never
quarrel however | think we got
through all our quarreing beforehand.
Some folks get tired Of their love.making
before long, but we have still great deal
OF that IN the future, trust. We have
bought new dog cart. and when Tom and
l 90 contentedly driving up and down the
steep Dsvonshire lanes, Aunt Nab smiles
and calls us Darby snd Joan. And some
times when Tom is in a quiet and poetic
mood (which doesn't happen very often, by
the by whisper to him softly, as 1 lean
my face against his broad shoulder:
80 Dear Tom let rs nrav that we NAV