Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1885-06-20

with black, wavy cnrls-stood on
| the porch steps quietly smoking
land indulging in heightened view
Iof the garden slopes.
/ .Tllat's Tom Bradley!' said Mary
Ito herself. Now, if he thinks I'm
coming down out OF this delicious,
cool place to sit up straight in the
Ehot parors, he's mistaken! Tom
She called out in II silver accent of
imperative summons, and then
burst into merry laughter at the
Eevident amazement with which
the stranger gazed round
|him, vainly trying to con
Ijectnre whence the call had pro-
ceeded. You dear, stupid Cousin
.Tomp she calculated. 'Don't stare
off toward the cabbage beds. Look
straight up here. You may come
up if you please; there's plenty of
room for both. You are Cousin
gc.-.m, aren't you7' she continued, as
ssfdttJn : nffiisgiyings crosseds@iref-
mind
.Of course 1 am! and you arc
Mary, I supposed
MARY herself. Up with you,
Tom! Catch hold Of this branch
there! Now shake hands. You
saucy fellow! | didn't say you
might kiss me!'
well, I couldn't help it; and he
sides, aren't we cousins?' SAID MIR.
Tom, swinging himself comforta-
bly, into a branch just above Mary:
5"Why, Tom, how you have CHANG
edl" calculated the young lady,
pushing back the curlsz with one
hand, that she might better view
the playmate other chidhootl'S days.
"Your hair never curled so before;
and what nice moustache you've
got! | shouldn't have known you,
Toni"
"No?" SAID Tom, roguishly.
"And you've grown so tall!-l ae-
clare, Tom, you're splendidw
"I could return the compliment, if
| dared. But where are all the rest
OF the familyY The house below is
as empty as a haunted hall"
GAIL gone to welcome that horrld
poky old Prof. Lii Place, who has
graciously indicated his willingness
TO pass IL few weeks with us. Tom,
| do hate that professor"
"Halc him! What fors"
ooh, don't know, I'm snre. He
is snuff dried, conceited old wretch
and III wager a box of gloves he
wears spectacles!"
"Nonsense, Mary. Why he is only
twent; six"
81 don't care! l know he is rhen-
matte and wears spectacleS, for all
that. And, Tom-low ifyou'll nev.
er, never breathe word of this"
II wont upon my word and hon
orv- said Tom.
"Well, then, papa has actually
6ot the idea into his dear old head
sat | would make nice wife for
the professor, and"
Mary turned away with crimson
Indignation flashing in her cheeks.
cit is too bad oryou TO laugh, Tom.
1 never, never will marry that man!
81 wouldn't if | were you," con-
soled Tom. "Bnt, Mary, wait and
see the man before you decide. lie
may be quite decent fellow"
"No!D said Mary, shaking her
Lead and biting her cherry lips firm
w. Il hate him beforehand"
"What Il splteful little puss yon
are!n said her companion, laughing.
':No, Tom, Pm not" And Tie
blue eyes became misty. Il love
papa and Ruth dearly, and l love
almost everybody. like you Tom;
but | hate Prof. La Place. And |
want you to promise, Tom, that
you'll be my friend, and not allow
him to tease me into walks, or rides,
or tete-a.tetes, ofany kind. Will you?
Would heY II 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 done it; any man OF taste
would.
Il promiseD he said, and they
shook hands on it.
What a cosy place for n chat
the gnarled old tree was.
And when they had talked over
everything they could think OF, it
was the most natural thing i'll the
world that Tom should recover the
book which had slipped down into
the network of tiny boughs; and
read poetry to his pretty COUSIN in
the deep musical voice that maid
ems love to listen to.
And Mary SAT- there watching the
.jetty curls blowing to aud fro on his
broad, white brow, and long, black
las!es 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 him, 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 horlid Prof. La Place,
instead Of a poor student, and
And when the large, black eyes
were suddenly lifted to hers, Mary
felt as though lie bad read every
thought Of her mind, aud blushed