The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-08-05
TOMS CHOICE.

|
Aunt Anne, | think III take wife," he
said, exactly as he might have SAID 81 think
I'll take another cup of coffee"
Take wiic?' repeated mother by NJ
means receiving the information as TRANQUILITY
as it had been given. what tory"
"Well, | don't know" answered Tom
thoughtiuly. ITS a notion I've got in my
head somehow"
"All nonsense!" said mother, sharply.
"Do you think 80? ~ said Tom, apparently
doubtful, but not IN the least put out
Think SOY know 1t, What in the world
can you want OF wife? After all these years we
lived so comfortably together TO bring home
somebody to turn the house upside down
And, then, what is to become of that poor
child?"
The poor child"-that was I--rcddening
at being brought into the argument in this
way was about to speak for herself, when
Tom lnterposei, warmly.
"l'm sure May knows would never have
any wife that would make it less home for
her-don't you, May
"Of course" SAID !.
And I'm sure she knows nothing OF the
Sort persisted mother, NOR you either, Tom
Dean. How can you answer for what u wife
may take into her head to do, 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 | have no real claim on her, sup.
pose you mean, ma am" Tom put III Tor the
second time, just rs | was thoroughly uncom
Portable. But, for all that, intend TO help
her-that is" added Tom, with one of his
short sighted b!inks sideways at me, "as long
as she'll stay with me, ell, Mary? And who
ever has anything to say against that arrange.
ment will have to get out of my house to say
lt-nOt that I'm afraid OF any such result in
this case-and, on the whole, Aunt Anne, |
should like to try the experiment"
Mother smiled grimly, but Tom was sol
evidently bent on his experiment" US he
called 1t, that she gave up the argument
You can dance, il you are ready to pay the
piper she sad shortly. And pray, how
soon do you mean to be married ?"
Toms face fell a little at this question.
well" said he, II can't say exactly II
suppose we VIII have to be engaged first
What" said mother, opening her eyes i
why, you never mean to say, Tom, you'll
haven't spoken to her YETI"
mot yet" answered Tom, cheerfuly.
Time enough for that, you know, after II
have spoken to you"
WELL" she SAID, "lf it was anybody else,
should say he was cracked; but you were
never like other people, and never will be,
Tom Dean. But, at least, you have fixed on
the LADY,"
"Oh, yes" answered Tom; "but il you will
excuse me, Aunt Anne, would rather not say
anything about her Just yet; for-if-any-I
thing should happen it wouldn't be pleasant
tor other party, you know" With which,
yelled allusion to his possible rejection, Tom
took his hat and left the room.
Our household WAS rather uueerly nut To-
gether There Is no particular reason why |
should have been Of 1t 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
lather, who, Ike most ministers, had been
richer in grace than IN goods and left US at
his death with very little to live on Then il.
was that Tom Dean had come forward and
insisted on giving home to his aunt and to
me, whom he had scarcely seen dozen times
In his life. That was exactly like Tom--"oueerI
Tom Dean" as his friends were fond of say.
ing, who never did anything like ANYBODY
else" suppose, In spite of his clear head
for business there is no denying that he was
but am sure, when think of his
unfailing generosity and delicacy, can't help
wishing there were few more such wh,msi.
cal people in the world Naturally, at the
time l am speaking of, my opinion had not
been asked; all had to do was 10 90 where
mother went, and, while she gave her energies
TO the housekeeping, give mine TO growing
up, which by this time had pretty well &C.
complished. But perhaps for that very rea.
son-ior one sees with different eyes at 10 and
lS-my position in the house had already he.
gun to seem unsatisfactory to me; and the
mornings words put 1t in clearer LIGHT. since
II hau been used as an argument against Toms
| knew that mother had spoken
honestly, believing that such step would
not be for his happiness; but was not he 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 claim upon HIM; so it mus, be
my part 10 prevent his own kindness being
turned against him now. Still, 1t was no, so
easy 10 see now l was to provide TOR myself IN
case 1t should become advisable What could
l 40! Draw and sing and play tolerably, but
no' III u manner 10 compete with the hosts
lhat would be IN the field against me- Li,era.
.u'o ! iiau rcau 80 many stories whose hero 1
mes, win turn OF the pen, dashed INTO
wealth and fame. That would be very nicr
had never even Kept journal, which Is saw.
ing agreat deal for glrl in her teens. The
Zine arts then, being GU, Of the question for
me- what remained? There was some clerk.
snip, or place IN some family, and-and
there was VIII Broomleyw
That may seem like going away from the
point, but 1t is not. was matter 0t.iact bnt
could see well enough what was going ont
Flght under my eyes and had a prettv claarI
dea OF what was bringing NIll TO the bouse
80 often as he had taken to coming lately
There was situation" then, that would Give
ne the nome life liked best and fel, myself
pest suited for; but-would it answer in other
aspects! overcast the long seam | WAS sew
hg twice over, | was so busy trying to make
Up my mind whether liked Will Broomlcv
well enough to pass my whole life with him.
ND even then had not come to any decision
When | was called down stairs TO Lefty Wal
ers. wa"
Lefty was the prettiest, think, of all nv
rlends, and certainly the livelest Tom
fhn ~