Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-09-19
WHO WAS IT?

We had just finished breakfast Tom
laid down the egg spoon he had been
playing with and looked across to
mother.
"Aunt Anne, I think I'll take .
wife," he said, exactly as he might
have said. II think I'll take another
cup Of coffee +"
"Take q wife ?" repeated mother, by
nn means receiving the information as
TRANQUILITY as it had been given. What
for ?"
"Well, / don't know" answered
Tom, thoughtfuliy. It's u notion I've
got in my head somehow"
"Ali nOnsense!" said mother sharply
"Do you think SOP" said Tom, DOUBT
fully, but not IN the least put out.
"Think so! know 1t What in the
world can you want Of wife? After
all these years we have lived 80 com
fortabIy together t. bring home some
Aud then. what is 10 becOme Ut that
poor chiId?"
That "poOr child that was I-red-
dened at being brought into the argu-
ment in this way, was about to speak
for herself, when Tom interposed
warmly:
"I'm sure May knows / would never
have any wife who would make 1t less
OF home for her: don't you, May ?"
"Of course" said /. /
"And I'm sure she knows nothing of
the sort, persisted mother, ''nor you Ell
ther, Tom Dean. How can you answer
for what wife. may take 1t into her
head to do, once you get her fixed
here? You can't expect her to forget,
as you do, that May has no real claim
on you"
suppose you mean, ma'am," Tom put
In for q second time, just as was get.
ting thoroughly uncomfortable. "But
for all that intend to keep her-that
is /" added Tom, with one Of his short
sighted blinks at me, "as long as she
will stay with mech, May? And
whoever has anything to say against
that arrangement will have to 60 out
side of my house to say it-not that
am afraid of any such result in this
case, and, on the whole, Aunt Anne, I
should like to try the experiment"
Mother smiled grimly, but Tom was
80 evidently bent on his experiment"
as he called it, that she gave up the ar
gument.
"You can dance If you are ready to pay
the piper" she said. "And pray, how
soon do you mean to be married ~
TOMS face fell little at this question.
"Well," said he, Il can't say exactly.
1 suppose we shall have to be engaged
first"
"WhatI" said mother, opening her
eyes, "why, you never mean to say,
Tom. you haven't spoken to her yet p
"Not yet," answered Tom, cheerfully.
r1nh n hat
I have spoken to you"
"Well," she said, If it was anybody
else,' i should say he was cracked, but
you never will be, Tom Dean. But. It
least. you have fixed on the lady ?n
"Oh, yes" answered Tom, 'but If you
will excuse me, Aunt Anne, I would
rather not say anything about her iust
yet, for-if anything should happen, 1t
wouldn't be pleasant for either party.
you know" With which yelled allu.
sion to his possible rejection, Tom took
bis hat and left the room. j
Our household was rather queerly put
together. There was no particular rea.
son why should have been one of it ct
all; for was not really related to Tom.
nor even to mother" as called her.
though am sure we were as dear to
each other as any mother and daughter
could be- She was the second wife of
my father. who, like most ministers.
had been richer in grace than in goods.
and left US at his death with very little
to live on. Then 1t was that Tom Dean
came forward and insisted on giving q
home to his aunt and me, whom he had
scarcely seen dozen times in his life
before. That was exactly like Tom
"queer Tom Dean" a. his friends were
fond of saying, who never did any
thing like anybody else." 1 suppose,
in spite of his clear head for business.
there is no denying that he was whlm-
steal, but am sure, when | think Of
his unfaiiing generosity anu delicacy.
can't help wishing there were few
more whimsical people in the world
Naturally at the time l am speaking
of, my opinion had not been asked all
1 had to do was to go where my mother
went, and while she gave her energies
to the housekeeping, gave mine to
growing up, which. by this time, had
pretty well accomplished. But, per-
haps for that feasOn-fOr one sees
through different eyes at twelve and
eighteeD-my position in the house had
already begun to seem unsatisfactory to
me, and the mornings words put It in
. clearer light, since it had been used as
an argument against Toms marrying.
1 knew that mother had spoken hon
estly. believing that such q step would
not be for his happiness. but was not he
the best judge Of that? I knew him, II
reflection should bring him round to
her opinion, to be perfectly capable Of