Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1884-10-16

cidro, 1Oin, YOU 10 spiohoiu'
81 could return the compliment,
l dared. But where are all the rest o
the familyr The house Is rs empty a
a haunted hall"
"All gone TO welcome that horrid
poky old Professor La Place, who hal
graciously indicated his willingness L
pess week with us. Tom, 1 do hat,
hat professor
"Hate him! What forP"
"Oh, don't know, I'm sure. He Il
snuff-dried, conceited old wretch, and
I'll wager box of gloves he wears
spectacles!"
Nonsense, Mary! Why, he Is only
twenty-six."
81 don't care! know he is rheumatic
and wears spectacles, for all that. And
Tom now il you'll never. never
breathe word of this"
81 won't upon my honor!' said Tom
"Well, then. papa has actually got
the idea into his dear old head that
would make nice wife for the profes'
sor, and"
Mary turned away with crimson in.
dignation flashing in her cheeks.
alt is too bad of you TO laugh, Tom.
1 never, never will MARRY that man!'
Il wouldn't If were YOU" consoled
Tom. "But, Mary, wait and see the
man before you decide. He may be
quito decent fellow"
"No!' said Mary, shaking her head
and biting her cherry lips firmly. 81
hate him beforehand"
What spiteful little puss you are!'
SAID her companion. laughing.
No, Tom, I'm moi" And the blue
eyes became misty. II love papa and
Ruth dearly, and love almost every
body. l like yoa Tom; but hate Pro-
fessor LaPlace. And / want you to
promise, Tom, that you will be my
friend, and not allow him to teaze me
into walks, or rides, or tete-a-tetes of
any kind. Will youP"
Would hep If she had asked him to
precipitate himself out of the pear tree
upon the steps below, with those blue
eyes fixed on his, he'd have doue it;
any man of taste would.
II promise!" he said, and they shook
hands on it.
What cozy place for a chat that
gnarled old tree was.
And when they had talked over ev-
erything they could think of, it was the
most natural thing in the world that
Tom should recover the book which
had slipped down into the net work of
tiny boughs, and read poetry TO his
pretty cousin in the deep, musical
voice that maidens love to listen to.
And Mary sat there watching the jet
ty curls blowing to and fro on his broad,
white brow, and the long, black lashes
almost touching his olive cheeks; and
she thought how very, very handsome
Cousin Tom was, how much he had
changed in the last ten years that had
elapsed since she had seen Tim and she
wondered whether Tom was engaged
to any pretty girl; somehow she hoped
not. Now, why couldn't Tom have
been rich. like that horfid Professor La
Place, instead of poor medical stud
ent. and
Aud when the large, black eyes were
suddenly lifted 20 hers, May felt felt as
though he had read every thought of
her mind, and blushed scarlet.
Come, Tom" she chartered to hide
her confusion. we've been up here
long enough. Help mo down and l
will show you the old sun dial that we
used to heap up with buttercups when
we were children"
A rumble of wheels; il was the return
ing carriage, and Mary chung to Toms
arm.
1.-THE awful professor!' she whis-
pered. NOW, Cousin Tom, be sure
you stand by me through everything"
ITO my life's endv' was the whis-
pered answer.
But there was no one in the carriage
save Mr.. Thorne and Ruth.
drew up on the grand sweep beside
the two cousins.
"Where's the professor"
"He was not ut the depot" said
Ruth sand"
But Mr.. Thorne had sprung from the
carriage and clasped both the strangers
hands in his.
LA Place, is l. possible Why, we
have just been looking for you at Mill
Staten"
II am sorry to have Inconvenience
you, SIR" was the reply; "but came
by the way of Wharton, and walked
over this morning"
'Never mind now, so you are safely
here ~ exclaimed the old gentleman.
Ruth. my dear-Mary, let me intro
duce you to your cousin, Professor La
Place!'
Mary had dropped his arm, and stood
You told me that you were Cousin
Toni"
THAT is my name, and / believe /
am a distant cousin by relationship.
Now, Mary" and the black eyes spark
led, "dont be angry because I don't
take snuff nor wear spectacles. / beg
the other Cousin Toms pardon, who
ever he is; but l am very glad he isn't
here Mary, be Just, and don't hate
Cousin Tom because his other name
happens to be La Place."
But no doubt it was very perplex-
ing thing to have two Cousin Toms;
and so, about six months subsequently,,
Miss Mary contrived to obviate that in
convenience by allowing one of them
to assume q nearer relationship; and,
in spite of all her dsseverations to the
contrary, she is Mrs. Professor La
Place.
For it's solemn fact in this world,
that whenever girl says she never,
never will do a thing, she is pretty sure
to do it the first chance she gets; and
Mary is no exception to the general
rulo.