The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1882-01-20
AT OROsS-PURPOsEs.
A Woman story.
CHAPTER tom RATHBONE.


al am sure that we shall be very hap
Ply, Kate!
yes" replied. frankly, as looked
up into his handsome brown face, Il
think we shall, Tom.
Tom Rathbone was fine young fell
low, and l was the happiest girl in our
parish. Not that ours was very large
parish either, for that matter, but some
how or other We had got into the habit
of sayingso, and the saying stuck to US.
We had been engaged, Tom and I, for
q month nearly, and o! the sweet times
we had after work, wandering through
the fields, far away out of our smoky
town where cotton mills and furnaces
sent up q black cloud that sometimes hid
the sun itself. Tom was factory hand,
and steady one. was then employed
in a milliner's business, and was learn
ing to support myself.
You wonder if / was pretty. Well,
Tom said so, and he wasn't the first, but
don't you think ever cared for any one
but Tom. Not bitl But do wish that
some people had kept their opinions to
themselves; for they made deal of mis-
chief, as you shall hear.
So Tom and were engaged, and were
very happy. Nobody minded us, and
we used TO enjoy our rambles by the
river and the sweet partings at our
house. We always had parting" me
and Tom, for full fifteen minutes by the
clock. Tom, bless him! used to declare
that Bessie always put the hands on ten
minutes, but she said she never did.
And / don't believe she did. And
this lasted till Tom went away down
South.
Bessie was a pretty girl, much pref
tier than was; at least heard so. She
was a good, affectionate girl, but a little
vain, and apt to encourage attention in
all innocence, but with slice ofvanity,
too. She was romantic, so twas said,
and would rather have lover to talk
poetry to her than to show her his books,
and his mill-hands going in to work after
dinner.
She had lover, but none of US knew
it at first.
must say I rather did admire Mr..
Dawson Temple, who was down in the
sheds at the railway, learning to make
engines. He used to lodge in the town,
but Mr.. Akenside, the engineer, thought
the frcsher air up the hillside better for
him, and, knowing father, he asked him
to take lodger. Father was willing;
mother liked Mr.. Temple from the first,
because of his respectful manner to her,
and his tidy ways; and so he became
one of our house family, and we did all
like him-Bessie especially.
Somehow, whether to hide his real
taste for Bessie, as some sweet things
will hide each other If taken nigh to-
gether, or to make her like him more,
as contrariness will do, Mr.. Temple be-
gan TO pay me little attentions, and Bes-
sic didn't like it. OF course laughed
at her, and we very nearly had quar-
rel over it; not that cared pin for
him, but because she thought was un-
maidenly, rs all know never was. Bes.
sic is younger than / am, and had had
attentions-nor am ashamed OF them,
as no honest woman need be. if proper
w addressed. She had had none till
Mr.. Temple made up TO her, and she
tackled me about it, and / was bit
angry. So when Mr.. Temple came in
that evening, and asked me to walk
| with him, consented. But you may be
sure that Tom was not in the neighbor-
hood, else / would have gone with him;
and even If not, was never ashamed to
walk with any well-behaved man in
daylight, nor do hope shall l ever have
need to be, feeling sure of myself and
my tongue. Not that my tongue ever
got me into trouble; indeed, I've known
silence to serve many girls an ill-turn,
as giving consent in default OF spirit to
speak out, which no woman should, at
proper season be afraid to do.
Thus it came to pass that Mr.. Temple
and went out that evening, leaving
poor Bessie in flush of tears, up stairs,
for her faithless lover.
He was not taithless, though, for
could see he worshipped her, and I drew
his whole heart out and kept it for Bes'
sic; with such news was sure we
should be friends. We had pleasant
walk, and were rather later than usual
I had confided to the young man my inn
preston as to my sisters feelings-witf
all reserve-and he was beside himsel
with ioy. When we returned, Bessie
had gone to bed, and wouldn't speak Il
me when came up. So went to sleep
and tried to comfort myself that coult
tell her in the morning. But we cam
tell what q night will bring forth, any
more than day, and ones as true a
the other.
i Next morning Bessie didn't get up q,
usual, and when mother came into GU,
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