The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1882-07-06


bic. What could do? Draw and sing
and play tolerably, but not in manner
to compete with the hosts that would be
in the fields against me. Literature? j
had read SO many stories whose hero
ines, with single turn of the pen,
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 great deal
for girl in teens. The .'tine arts,
then, being out of the question for me,
what remained? There was soBie
clerkship, or place in some family,
and-and there was Win BROMLEY
That may seem like going away from
of-fact, but l could see well enough
what was going on right under my eyes,
and l had pretty clear idea of what
was bringing VIII to the house so often
as he had taken to coming lately. There
was a situation, then, that would give
me the home-life l liked best, and felt
myself best suited for; but-would il
answer in other respects? | overcast
the long seam / was sewing twice over,
Twas so busy trying to make up my mind
whether | liked VIII BROMLEY well
enough to pass my whole life with him;
and even then | had not come to any
decision, when was called down stairs
to Lefty Walters.
Lefty was the prettiest. I think. OF al
my friends, and certainly the liveliest.
Tom called her ''the tonic,' and used
to laugh heartily at her bright speeches.
| suppose it was this that made mother
fix on Lefty as his choice. When l
came into the sitting-room | found a
kind of cross-examination going on. 1t
was amusing to anybody in the secret,
as | was, to watch mothers artful way
of continually bringing the conversa-
ton round, as if by chance, to bear on
what she wanted to know. But it all
amounted to nothing, either because
Lefty was too 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.
"What, the tonic?" said Tom 'Too
bad | missed"
''But for your choice being already
made" said mother, with a covert
scrutiny of his face, Il dare say you
might have as much of the tonic as you
liked
''But 90 on the homeopathic princi-
pie, you know answered Tom, with a
twinkle in his eve.
After that mothers belief in Letty's
outlines wavered. Her suspicious
were transferred from one to another of
our acquaintance, but always with the
same unsatisfactory result.
1T passes my comprehension" she
said to me, despairingly, one day. Il
am positive l could tell the right one by
Toms face in a minute, and yet have
mentioned everybody we know"
perhaps it is somebody we don't
KNOW" l suggested; ':some friend of his
we have never SEEM
"What! perfect stranger?" said
mother. sharply. '.Never talk to me,
child; Toms not capable of that"
L >-s-- 5ilcut, for I IA -V0 r.
worry her; but that was my opinion all
the same.
The same evening-it was rather more
than week since Tom had hurled that
thunderbolt of his at us-mother began
about it openly.
when are you going to introduce
your wife to US, Tom? l suppose you
have come to an understanding by this
time.n
''Oh, there's no hurry" Tom said, as
he had said before, but this time he did
not speak quite so cheerfullY. 1.-The
fact is" he continued, ''there-there' S
a rival in the case"
"a rivalr' repeated mother, with un-
feeling briskness.
''Yes. young fellow-younger by a
good deal than am,' and TOMS face
assumed an absurdly doleful look. ''He
is always there now. l confess | don't
see my way clear; I'm waiting for her
to make up her mind"
''And she's waiting, most likely, fol-
you to make up yours" said mother,
forgetting in her propensity to right mat
ters, that she was playing the enemy's
game.
There's something in that that never
occurred to me-" said Tom, his face
Frightening. Mother saw her mistake,
and made a counter move at once.
''But the ways of my time are old.
fashioned now; young ladies, nowadays
take matters into their own hands. L
she cared for you, you may be pretty
sure she wouldn't have waited till this
time to let you know it-that is, Judge
bv the girls | am in the habit Of seeing
but if this one is stranger to me-
(here mother riveted her eyes on Toms
face; oh, dear, my unfortunate words!)
IF she is an entire stranger, | cannot
pretend to form any opinion of her, O
course
.Of course" repeated Tom. absently
Not that | have any such idea" re-
sumed mother, growing warmer; %
have said, and | may say again, that tC
bring perfect stranger under this roo
is not my opinion of you, Tom"
felt mothers words like SO many
pins and needles; for Iom was looking
meditatiyely across at me, and, though
that was just a way of his, it seemed
now as if he We're reading in my fact
that the opinion was mine, and that
had been meddling in what did not con
cern me. l felt myself, for very yexa
ton, getting redder every moment, til
it grew intolerabie.
at is so warm here" said for ar
e.,cuse, turning toward the French win
dow. Il am going to get breath o.
airn
went out into our little strip Of
garden ground; Tom followed.
thought | should never have bette
opportunity to say what I had q mine
to say, so l waited for him by the benel
under the old pear tree. ..Sit dowl
here. Tom,' l said, 81 have something
to say TO YOU
''Have you?' said Tom, "that's odd
for well, never mind that just yet
What is it. May?"
Tom" l said, still surer now he ha,
nisjudged me. and more resolved to Sc
him right, II want place.
"A place?" repeated Tom, puzzled
as well he might be by this sudden ant
indefinite announcements; ''what kint
of place?''
Il don't know I said, for indeed
my ideas were OF the vaguest. :.
| thought you might. being in the way o
those things. Now. pray, Tom," l wen
on quickly, ''don't fancy | am discon
tented-or anything Of that sort. Tn,
truth is. ever since I left off school
have wanted something to do, and hav,
had If IN NV mind =, .-,~>.,,- -.