The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1885-05-09

VIC C'llNl VII w lColSh my DCloNCh
Thomas, and see him snatched away
and wrapped in the cold arms of
matrimony.
When he finally departed from
the law school and stepped forth
into the lists, it was not with his old
leisurely air. He "blossomed out"
into fine, busy, active fellow, drift
ed from old Massachusetts,, and set
tied himself in one of our clamer-
Gus, thriving western cities. But we
used to see him every year. He
kept his heart warm for the old
family roof, and you could hardly
step into the old mansion without
finding a fresh reminder of him
some new vases, an armchair or the
mother making up a heavy silk, and
to all questions, the girls-mean-
time stitching gentleman's collar
or cravat-would answer, ooh, Tom
sent them~ or, "We've just had a
box from Tom"
1t will be seen that 1 did not go
west. No, from being a bashful,
awkward boy, l have stiffened into
silent, reserved man-glum I'm
called by the ladies. I've put up
my shingle here at home, and go up
and down exploring the county and
beating up cases, when courts are
not sitting. believe I've grown
more stiff and glum in the last few
years. / never had any real COM
panion but Tom, and this makes
me more bitter about the widow.
rarely see any ladies except his
sisters, and l really thought one of
them felt sorry for me when the
engagement was announced.
remember during one of Toms
visits at home-hc usually spent
month there in the summer-we
were fishing, and had had capital
luck. The sky was covered with
soft white haze which glimmered
over everything. 1t was, in short,
as every fisherman knows, 'just the
day." and | was bent on improving
it. But Tom seemed to tire at For
tunes smiles, for, after the first few
bites, he stretched himself in the
boat, and laying his handsome head
on my knee, abandoned to me the
ancient, time-honored, and Scrip
tural business of fishing, and betook
himself to talking. | think | gloried
in him, and was more knit into him
on that day and from thenceforth,
than ever before. In all that long
summer day, when we two young
fellows alone, went through all his
condolences and experiences, there
was not one word or thought which
his two sisters, pure and good,
might not have heard. A new senti-
ment tinged my love for him;
reverenced him, his noble unsullied
manhood, his generous chivalric
spirit.
The shadows began to lengthen,
the sunset brilliancy was already
kindling the tranquil surface of the
little lake, and lightning up the
brown trunks of the trees on the
shore. unjointed our poles and
wound up the lines, while Tom
made bold strokes for the inlet
where our sorrel pony, quietly eat
ing hay from the end of our wagon,
stood waiting for us. l took up the
newspaper which held our bait, pro-
posing to give it, untrammelled by
hook, to our friends below, when my
eye was attracted by u name; l read
aloud: Married, on the 18th inst,
by Rev. James Inman, uncle of the
bride, Mr.. Samuel Rutledge to Miss
Agnes Inman."
"What date is that?" said Tom,
looking somewhat startled.
turned it over. "May 21st"
"Well, she's gone" said he, "and
l suppose l might as well burn up
the little notes to tell you the truth,
always hated to, they were such
pretty little things"
"And you've kept them all this
time?" said l.
81 have really, Alfred the Great.
! must confess it, and ! think there
is little lock of hair, young love,
you know " He smiled, but l
thought there was sigh at the end
of it. As we stepped out of the
boat, he took the newspaper, and,
rolling it into a ball, threw it into
the water, saying, Farewell, little
Miss Inman,' and with it, for aught
l could see, the sigh disappeared.
Three years slipped away. Tom
came home twice Il year, looking
better, more manly, and, to me,
more delightful each time. l summed
myself in those weeks, or days. l
always felt less stiff and stupid in
society with him, and when he was
at home, used to visit ut his fathers