The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-06-25


very nice, only-I was not the least
bit literary; 1 had never even kept
a journal, which Is saying a great
deal for a girl in her teens. The
"fne arts" then, being out of the
question for me, what remained?
There was some clerkship, or a
place in some family, and-and
and there was Will BROMLEY!
That may seem like going away
from the point, but it was not. |
was matter-of- fact, but / could see
well enough what was going on
right under my eyes, and had a
pretty clear idea of what was bring
Ing Will to the house 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 it answer in other re-
spects? l overcast the long seam L
was sewing twice over, l was so
busy trying to make up my mind
whether l liked viii BROMLEY well
enough to pass my whole life with
him; and even then I had not come
to any decision, when [ was called
down stairs to Lefty Walters.
Lefty was the prettiest, l think,
of all my friends, and certainly the
.liYeliest. Tom called her s'the
tonic" aud used to laugh heartily
at her bright speeches. L suppose 1t
was this that made mother fix on
T,ettv as his choice, When | came
into the sitting room / found kind
of cross-examnatiOn gong on. 1t
was amusing to anybody in the sec
ret, as l was, to watch mothers art
full way Of continually bringing the
conversation round, as II by chance,
to bear on what she wanted to
know. But it all amounted to
nothing, either because Lefty was
TO good a fencer, or because she
really had nothing to betray. But,
when Tom came home, mother took
care to mention that Lefty had
called.
"TOo bad l missed"
"But for your choice being al
ready made" said mother, with a
covert scrutiny of his face, 81 dare
say you might have as much Of the
tonic as you liked"
'sBut l go on the homeopathic
principle, you know" answered
Tom, with a twinkle in his eye.
After that mothers belief in Let
tvs outlines wavered. Her suspi-
cions were transferred from one to
another of our acquaintance, but al
ways with the same unsatisfactory
result.
cit passes my comprehension" she
said to me, despairingly, one day.
Il am positive could tell the right
one by Toms face in a minute, and
yet 1 have mentioned everybody we
know"
Perhaps it is somebody we don't
know" L suggested: "sOme friend OF
his we have never seen.
"What! a perfect Stranger" said
mother sharply. "Never talk to me,
child; Toms not capable OF that"
was silent, for l did not want to
worry her; but that was my opinion
all the same.
The same evening-it was rather
more than a week since Tom had
hurled that thunderbolt of his
at us-mother began about it
openly.
"Oh there's no hurry" Tom said,
as he had said before; but this time
did not speak quite so cheerfully.
The fact is, he continued, there
there's a rival in the case"
"A rival." repeated my mother
with unfeenng brlskness.
''Yes, a young fellow-Younger
by a good deal than l am" and
Toms face assumed an absurdly
doleful look. He is always there
now. l confess l don't see my way
clear; I'm waiting for her to make
up her mind"
''And she's waiting, most likely
for you to make up yours, said my
mother, forgetting ia her propensity
to right matters, Jhat she was play
ing the enemy's game.
'There's something IN that that
never occurred to me- said Tom,
This face frightening. Mother saw
her mistake, and made d cOun-
Ter move at once.
"But the ways Of my time are
! Old fashioned now; young ladies,
nowadays, take matters into their
l0wn hands. Ii she cared for you,
YOU may be pretty sure she wouldn't
have waited till this time to let you
know it-that is, l judge by the girls
| am in the habit OF seeing; but II
this one is a stranger to me-" (here
mother reYited her eyes on Toms
face; oh, dear, my. unfortunate
words } IF she is an entire stranger,
l cannot pretend to form any Opin-
ION of her, Of course"
"Of course" repeated Tom, alb
sently.
Not that I have any such idea,
resumed mother, growing warmer;
81 have said and l may say again
that to bring a perfect stranger I'm.
der this roof is Lot my opinion OF
you, Tom"
| felt mothers words like so many
pins and needles; for Tom was look
ling meditatiYely across at me, and
Though that was just way OF his
lit seemed now as if he were read,
ling in my face that the opinion was
.imine and that l had been meddllng
lin what did not concern me. [ fell
~.,roIc for worry veYation getting