River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-07-13
WHO WAS 1T!

We had just finished breakfast. Tom
laid down the egg spoon he had been
playing with, and looked across to
mother.
"Aunt Annie. think I'll take wife"
he said, exactly as he might have said
81 think I'll take another cup of cof-
fee"
Take wife?" repeated mother, by
no means receiving the information as
TRANQUILITY as it had been given. 'What
forY'
well, 1 don't know" answered
Tom, thoughtfully. cts notion I've
got into my head somehow"
"AIl nonsense p said mother sharp
ly.
"Do you think so p said Tom doubt
fully, but not in the least put out.
"Think SOP" | know it. What in
the world can you want of wife 2"
After all these years We have lived so
comfortably together, to bring home
somebody to turn the house upside
down And then what is to become of
that poor child?"
That "poor child"-that was red
denning at being brought into the argu-
ment in this way, was about to speak
for herself, when Tom interposed warm
ly:
'I'm sure May knows / would never
have any wife who would make it less
at home for her-don't you Mary"
''Of course" said |.
''And Pm sure she knows nothing of
the Sort" persisted mother, nor you
either. Tom Dean. How can you an
swer for what wife may take it into
her head to do, when once you get her
fixed here? You can't expect her to for
get as you do that May has no real
claim on you"
THAT l have no real claim on her, l
suppose you mean, ma'am," Tom put
in for the second time, just as | was
getting thoroughly uncomfortable.
"But for all that, intend to keep her
that is" added Tom, with one of his
short-sighted blinks sideways at me,
"as long IS she will stay with me, Ell,
May? And whoever has anything to
say against that arrangement will have
to go outside of my house to say it
not that | am afraid of any such result
in this case-and on the whole, Aunt
Anne, | should like to try the expert
ment."
Mother smiled grimly but Tom was
so evidently bent on his experiment"
as he called it, that she gave up the ar
gument.
"You ca n dance if you are ready TO
pay The piper" she said shortly. "And,
pray, how soon do you mean to be mar
ried?"
Toms face fell little at this ques-
ton.
"Well," said he, Il can't say exactly.
suppose we shall have to be engaged
first"
"What.' said mother opening her
eyes; why, you never mean to say,
Tom, that you haven't spoken to her
yet?'
mot yet, ;" answered Tom, cheerfully
thine enough for that, you know, af-
ter | have spoken to you"
"Well," she said, eff it was anybody
else. should say he was cracked; but
you never were like other people, and
YOU never will be, Tom Dean. But, at
least, you have fixed ON the lady?'
"Oh, yes" answered Tom; "but if
you will excuse me, Aunt Anne, |
would rather not say anything about
her Just yet; for if-if anything should
happen, it wouldn't be pleasant for
either party, you know" With which
yelled allusion to his possible rejection,
Tom took his hat I'd left the room.
Our household was rather queerly
put together. There was no particular
reason why should have been of it at
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 ut his death with very little
to live on. Then it was that Tom Dean
came forward and insisted on giving a
home TO his aunt and to me, whom he
had scarcely seen a dozen times in his
life before. That was exactly like Tom
-"aueer Tom Dean" as his friends
were fond of saying. "who never did
ANYTHING like anybody else" l sup
pose, in spite of his clear head for
business, there is no denying that he
was whimsical; but | am sure, when |
think of his unfailing generosity ard
delicacy, | can't help wishing there
were few more whimsical people IN
the world.
N v.
ing of. my opinion had not been asked !;
all 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 l had pretty well accomplished.
But, perhaps for that reason-one sees
through different eyes at twelve and
eighteen-my position IN the house
had already begun to seem unsatisfae-
tory to me; and the Mornings words
put ii in clearer light, since 1t had
been used as an argument against
Toms marrying. | knew that mother
had spoken honestly, believing that
such step would not be for his hapal-
ness; but shs was not the best Judge of
that. | knew him, if reflection should
bring him round to her opinion, TO be
perfectly capable of quietly sacrificing
his own wishes for my sake, who had
not the shadow of a claim upon him
so it must be my part to prevent his
own kindness being turned against HIM
now. Still, it was not easy to see how
was to provide for myself, in case II
should become advisable. What could
do? Draw and sing and play tolera-
bly,, hut not in manner to compete
with the hosts that would be In the neld
against me. Literature | had read
so many stories whose heroiues, with a
turn of the pea, dashed into wealth and
fame That would be very nice,-only
was not the least bit literary; | had
never even kept journal which Is
saying good deal for girl in her
teens. The fine arts" then, being out
of the question for me, what remained
There yrs some clerkship, or place
in some family. and-there was Viii
Bromley.
That may seem like going away from
the point, but it was not. 1t was mat
ter-of-fact, but l could see well enough
what was going on right under my
eyes, and l had a pretty clear ides
what was bringing Will 10 the honse
so often as he had taken to coming
lately. There was situation" then
that would give me the home life
liked best, and felt myself best suitec
or; but-would it answer in other re
spects? / overcast the ong seam wa
sewing twice over, l was so busy tryins
to make up my mind whether like
Will Bromley well enough to pass m.
whole life with him; and even then
had not come to any decision, wheI