Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-10-28

ALI xOk 49, moi really related 60 Tom.
nor even TO = mother as called her.
though / am sure we were Is dear 20
each other as any mother and daughter
could be. She was the second wife az
my father, who,. like most ministers.
mad been richer In grace than In goods.
ana left rs st his death with very little
70 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 3 dozen
times IN his life before. That was ex-
actly like Tom queer Tom Dean. as
his friends were fond of saying, 9 Who
never did anything like anybody else. .
| suppose, In spite of his clear head for
business, there Is no denying that he
was whimsical; but I am sure, when I
think OF his unfailing generosity and
dellcacy, can't help wishing there
were q few more such whimsical
people IN the world. Naturally ut
the time am speaking of, my opinion
had not been asked; al / had TO do was
to go where mother went, and, while she
gave her energies to the housekeeping,
give mine to growing up, which by this
time had pretty we'll accomplished.
But perhaps for that very reason-for
one sees with different eyes ut twelve
and eighteen-my position In the
house had already begun to seem
unsatisfactory to me; and the morn
ing's words put it in o clearer light,
since it had been used as an argument
against Toms marrying. knew that
mother had spoken honestly, be-
lieviDg that such q step would not be
for his happiness; but was he not the
best judge of that? 1 knew him, if re-
Election 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 on him; so
it must be on my part to prevent his
own kindness being turned against
him now. Still, it was not SO easy to
see how was TO provide for myself in
case 1t should become advisable. What
could do9 Draw and sing and play
tolerably, but not in q manner to COM
pete with the hosts that would be In
the field against me. Literature? 1
lad read so many stories whose hero.
ines, with 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 jour-
nal, which is saying a great deal for q
girl In her teens. The "iine arts,''
then, being out of the question for me,
what remained9 There was some
clerkship, or place in some family,
and-and there was Will BROMLEY
That may seem like going away from
the point, but it was not. 1t was matter
of-fact, but could see well enough what
was going on right under my eyes, and
had pretty clear idea OF what was
bringing Will to the house SO often IS
he had taken to coming lately. There
was situation, . then, that would give
me, the home-life [ liked best, and felt
myself best suited for; but--would it
answer in other respects? overcast
the long seam l was sewing twice over,
l was so busy trying to maize up my
mind whether I liked Will BROMLEY
we'll enough to pass my whole life with
him; and even then had not come to
any decision when was called down
stairs to Lett Walters.
Lefty was j. pretties', think, Of all
my friends, ard certainly the iveliest.
Tom called hef|the tonic" and used
to laugh HEARTH at her bright speeches.
/ suppose it was this that made mother
fix on Lefty as his choice. When /
came into the sitting-rcom I found q
kind Of cross-examiDRtion going on. It
was amusing to any body in the secret,
as was, tc watch mothers artful way
of continually bringing the converse
ton round, as if by chance 90 bear on
what she wanted to know. But it all
amounted TO nothing, either because
Lefty was too good aTeRcer or because
she really had nothing to bekray. But
when Tom came home mother took
care to mention that Lefty had called.
"What. the tonic2' said Tom. Too
bad missed her."
HBut for your choice being already
made" said mother, with covert scru-
tiny of his face, I" dare say you might
have as much of the tonic as you liked. !"
ssBut go on the homeopathic prin-
ciple, you know answered Tom, with
q twinkle In his eye.
After that mothers belief In Letty's
cuiltlness wavered. Her suspicious
were transferred from one to another of
our acquaintances; but always with the
same unsatisfactory result.
g It passes my comprehension, she
said to me, despairirgly, one day. 81
am positive could tell the right one
by Toms face in minute, and yet
have mentioned everybody we know"
Perhaps it is somebody We don't
know, / suggested; ''some friend Of his
we have never seem
q NUho4a - ~,a~fock ~twornox 81 uas<7