The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1882-11-02

Come, Lefty, don't be silly. Let me feel your
II will not. lam very well, / assure you"
"Then you have been humbugging."
81 don't know what you call thumbug-
ging.'"
vapers."
'No: later than Elizabeth. Now, come to
lunch" q
81 will not"
"You will noti Why, you can say nothing
else, and you are half cryingl These are hys-
terical symptoms. linus certailly send for a
doctor.n
Tom sat down at the table, squared his ell
bows and proceeded to indite in a large, bold
hand the words, sMy Dear Sir"
He wrote no more; unable to contain my
rage and indignation, I seized the sheet of
note paper on which he had begun to write,
and, crunplingit up in my trembling hands,
I threw it violently in his face.
He rose up quickly and stared at me.
"The dickensi" he began, and then with
sudden GOODNESS: 81 think you are quite right
not to come into the dining room, Cousin Let
tice, u he said, and thereupon he stalked out
and banged the door.
1 burst into a passion of tears. Anger,
shame and humiliation were swelling my heart.
Suddenly | dried my tears. Had not Tom, so
to speak, forbidden. my presence in the dining
room? Without pausing, even to smooth my
1 lbius L tlC lIbO AhO WIN y
luncheon had been served and where the sub
stantial repast still eraced the table, though
Toms folded napkin and unused knife and
fork bore evidence t , the fact that he had not
yet eaten. Nordid he apparently intend to do
so, for through the open window came the
sound of a ~strilent voice thai said:
"Put Jerry in thedogcart directly, Wilkins;
I am going to drive into E~ddiscombe."
l had rather died than have owned 10 it, and
yet 1 Jet myself vanquished. Tom was a
rough countryman and | was a civilized Lon
dor. girl. He was, of course, unused to the
ways and wiles of women, while at balls and
kettledrums I had boosted many a conquest.
Somehow, however, L could not manage Tom;
1 could not even prevent his managing me.
Furthermore, a sense of depressi n actually
came over me at the thought of his going out
for the afternoon; surely, in Aunt Mab's abb
sence, it was his bounden duty to be my
squire-nay, my slave.
1 ate my luncheon, however, as I was very
hungry, and / sat on, feeling cross and lonely,
moodily slipping my aunt's homemade ginger
beer with the melancholy reflection that it was
not more fla than all the world besides to me,
this long, long day, of all my days the --LATEST.
Suddenly the door burst open.
"Down, Sambo; down, down, Chloe" quoth
my cousin to the big dogs that accompanied
him, barking vociferousiy, and jumping on
81 say, Lefty Ietitia, 1mean), I've ordered
the old trap round. Pm going to drive you t.
Eddiscom5e.o
"You area"
"Tm sorry, you know" begon Tom, in a
bungling sort of way, 'that Ill lost my
temper, bat l couldn't help it."
"You were extremely rude,"I answered,
with dignity.
sand yoa-what were youa" asked Tom,
with lau I'll. You'd better accept my apology
with grace, Lefty, before my humility dies
out altog ether. It's safe not to last long.
Go and Pu on your hat and tippet."
"Your bonnet and cloak, if you like that
better. OF course, Tishy, l know that it is
simply idiotic for a man t. lose his temper with
a woman
"That is true"
"a won1r may do what she likes. 1t is all
silly chillisIiness, like the scratching of a
kitten or the anger of a young canary. A man
shouldn't mimi, if he is anything OF afellow,
and, of course, he doesn't mind really"
"My dear POM | asked with some sarcasm,
swhyd do you seek my society If l am so slllyf'
s-Why do You seek mine!' retorted Tom,
quickly. why did You come into the dining
room, Miss Lelty?'
"I-I didn't SEEK
20, yes, you did. Well, you are a dreary,
lonely child, and-don't contradict, Tishy-
and [ ply you and want to cheer you up.
Besides, you are not bad-looking, 'hough you
are my cousin. There's soft sawder for you'll
Why, you have been taught in books, Letitia,
tn It woman 5 beauty is the handspring of
mems great deeds. VIVA. a poor little weak
hand it isI' a ldsi Tom incoherently, taking
my feeble member into his large bronzed palm.
!" Idon't want it kissed, thought said L,
angrily sila' ching it away just in time to avert
the ca astrophe. {" II W dare you Toma'
&c" dare do all that may become a man, re-
piled Tom, grandiioque itly. "Do 81 and
dress, Lefty. Better a drive with q cousin and
the bitter herb of { bacco than a dull after
noon and only the stalled OK of cold beef to
comfort you
!" Who is silly nows But you have eaten no
cold beef yourself"
AZ stuffed myself with a late hreakfas'. Be-
sides, you are like a sanity vision| see you
better when | an fasting. Down, sambo,
down, sir. Now sit up.and beg; of course you
must put on your best manners, like your mas
ter, for the sake of this fine Lady from Lon
donln
My aun IS dogcars was a vehicle in which
she would never trust herself, and which was,
therefore, kept solely for the use of Tom. AS
for Jerry, she was. a good, quiet beast. Her
name was originally Egeria, but The stable boy
had contracted and vulgarizel this appella-
ton, much as the Aryan races have amalga-
mated the noble Sanskrit roots in.o their di.
vers modern tongues.
Jerry trot ed on affably, and my clusin, as
we passed between the high hedges that wore
the green mantle Of spring, discoursed with
erudition of he neighborho ID.
So y,u see, Lettlce," said Tom, for the
fifth or sixth lime, Z" that when the old Squire
died he had got all his property comfortably
packed into a ring fence, and when his first
wife's step-daughter succeede | to her great
aunt, who, as 1 Iold you, was the Squirrels sec
ond cousin, once removed-why, Letitia, I dc
believe you are neary asleep; you were actu'
ally nodding."
pretty the wild violets are.n
"Dog ~violets, Y u mean."
81 don't choose to call them 81"
Gas you please. A violet or a lettuce by any
other name Lefty, l want to ask you ont
thing.'i
"WelIr,
swhy are you SO contradictions and quar-
az never was called quarreIsome before
Tom. 1 never am quarrelsome, except, per
ha Ravs.. :. u, u.,
Well, 1 have a fellow feeling. You rub me VI
uncommonly.o
"And you ann W me constantly.
81 get angry with you perpetually."
81 dislike you positively. Really, dear Tom
you don't mind my speaking the truth?'
sNot in The least; it relieves my mind. D
you know, | have of en- felt quite alarmed a
the strength of my aversion for YOU"
SIT cannot exceed mine for YOU"
"Well," said Tom, with a half sigh, ''this il
the first subject We have ever agreed upon
Let US be satisfied, Tishy, to think that we car
agree in 5 me hing"
Strangely enough, however, no woman
wishes to be disliked, even by the object o
her own detestation.
81 wonder why you dislike me-, Tome"
asked, after a pause. 1t was foolish of me tt
ask, for of course Tom would answer in hi
usual bantering way. But no, he spoke slow
ly and almost softly:
81 don't know, Tishy. 1t is owing to som
intricate law of moral repulsion, 1 suppose.
sort of ma ural antipathy, the absolute re
verse OF elective affinity, in fact
do not like thee, Doctor Fell,
The reason why l cannot tell
But why do you dislike me, Letitia?"
go, because you are rough and rude, ant
bearish and obstinate, and generally vexatfoui
t and detestable," | answered with energy.
Tom laughed. His momentary~s oftness hat
evidently departed. He pushed back from hi
brown forehead the wooden Tam o. Shante
that imprisoned his crisp, curly locks; h
? turned an amused glance toward me, and thel
, Rugged himself and laughed in the absurd
boisterous manner that was peculiarly his own
displaying two rows of strong white teeth, tn,
most perfect, surely, in all the world.
Here, hold the reins, cousin mi e, and
t Will relieve you of my detestalle company 70
a Bit" He fun : himself on. + the dogcar
as he spoke, and proceeded to walk up tn
3 steep hill. Tom was sinSularly active AM
1.-THE; also, he had a noble bearing. A. the pres
ent time he was clad in the IN st disgracefull
old and badly-made clothes it was possible tt