Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1885-12-05

3 l5fMQllld zoe. To-Day, however, III
EHpice nearly always loud and cheer
|f Ell, was louder and more cheertr
I;tTanS ever, and when he opened til
5Ida brsef the apartment where til
three Misses Montgomery were a,
Z seiHbled, his beaming face comm,
olFofsthe dull background Of eli
haas seemed like the sun burstinI
Z Though the clouds.
sashe three Misses Montgomer,
locked up. Ethel languitlly, Rosa
|mand through her eyeglasses dis
aIYfoNingly, and Bertha with ;
.IibrasHtslittle nod Of welcome. Ton
naInralIy strode.over to the.cornel
au5lstook possession of the broat
wiTdow.sill.
You have met with some goo(
foFsune9' said Bertha, half interro
gatNely, half assertively,rssas hel
sisters on with their occupa
Itiois3 quite hon b sue per
SOS 1oin Yernipg hahn ,yeresn ol
in eSistence 60; and Tom smiled {or,
more fruthf1lly, such.waslbis excess,
siveIe Gig tlt. grinned broadlyand
nodded his handsome head.
Nothing less than a lift in the
house and slp additional four hun
tlreQ sssr, little woman" he
whispereq iand Bertha's eyes light.
ed ap,salth5ugh there wasa sudden
glintofssomething very like tears
unterc cover OF Il dainty apron, got
hcldof Tours big fingers, and
squeezed them raptnrously.
ss1iayI ask Aunt Mellicent now7"
whispered Tom, and as Bertha,
blushing crimson, answered, after
an instant, with a shy little nod,
Mrs. birmingham came in.
SlEeSwas a-thin, frost bitten, look
ing woman, with BLACK hair and a
nose.much inclined to be unpleas
antlypipk ut the end. Her black
dressgmade a chilly rustling AS she
moved, and herrecognition ofTom's
presence was irigfd in the extreme.
Tom, however, was not to be dis
mayed, and as soon as the lady had
seated herself, and Bertha had ia
ken.np her position behind her
mothers chair back, he boldly
arose, and facing the entire Mont
gomery family, stated his case con-
cisely and frankly, while Mrs. Yern
ingram and her two elder daugh-
terSgazed upon him with surprised
disSi}prabation.
s'AndNou really mean" said Mrs.
birmingham, bending little for
ward, while tile violence of her
emotions deepened the tint OH the
tipother nasal organ until it was
of a3deep crimson-"and you really
mean that, on the strength of a four
hundred a year rise inl our wages"
Mrs. Yerningham pronounced this
offensive word us Extensively as
possible) "you wish to marry my
da1ghler7n
az and
the elder girls he added, hastily, as
though fearing that some mistake
might ariSe-ayour daughter Der
tina, if yon please"
aBnU 1 do not pleasep' said Mrs.
Yerningham grandly. alt is utter
ly absurd-not to be thought Of for
a moment. Bertha is a forward and
undutiful girl to encourage you, and
| should be astonished at her bad
she not always been headstrons
and willful, and Disappointing 10
me. You will oblige me, Thomas
birmingham, by henceforth omit.
ting my house from your list of
calling places, and my family, in
GLIDING myself, from yonr list Of
acquaintances."
.But not including me-" said
Bertha, stepping forward courage
ously and laying her hand on Toms
arm. "Mamma, if you exclude him
from yoar house, yoa must exclude
me tol"
Mrs. birmingham gasped and
looked wildly about her, as though
in search of something with which
to annihilate her pre>umptuons
child, but Bertha continued intrep-
Idly
II was twenty one last month,
you know, mamma, and | have a
right to do as I choose-and SO L
choose to marry Tom"
ssNot with my CONSENT" snapped
Mrs. Yerningham.
"Without it then," said Bertha
sweetIy.
"You shall never have a penny of
my money" declared the iraie ma.
tron, and Tom and Bertha looked
into one another's eyes and smiled.
Three days after this scene, Tom,
in very splendid new suit, drove
up tc birmingham House in a hired
hack, and Bertha, locking pale and
determined, but very happy, came
down the stone steps, and met him
with a-smiIe. Five minutes later
Tom and his true and brave little
sweetheart were, with two trunks
containing poor Bertha's share OF
this worlds goods, being whirled
rapidly away from birmingham
House, where, from behind the
drawing room blinds three pairs OF
eyes watched them scorntully.
So Tom and Bertha were married,
and went to housekeeping in three
rooms, and were as happy as two
birds. Bertha never once envlcd
| her two sisters who often drove