The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-01-10


curled so before and what nice mus
tache you've got l shouldn't hav'
known you, Tom !"
"No?" said Tom, roguishly.
"And you've grown so tall Il de
clare Tom, you're splendid ~
81 could return the compliment, if
dared. But where are all the rest O
the family? The house below is a
empty as haunted hail.
''All gone to welcome that horrid
poky old Professor La Place, who ha
graciously indicated his willingness tt
pass a few weeks with us. Tom, l dc
hate that professor.
"Hate him What for?'
"Oh, l don't know, I'm sure. He il
a snuf-dried, conceited old, bachelor
and III wager a box of gloves he wear
speetacles ~
"Nonsense, Mary Why, he is only
twenty six.
81 don't care l know he is rheuma
tic and wears spectacles, for all that
And, Tom-now if you'll never, never
breathe a word of this
81 won't, upon my honor ~ sale
Tom.
"Well, then, papa has actually go
the idea into his dear old head that
would make nice wife for the pro
fessor, and"
Mary turned away with crimson in
dignation flashing in her checks.
at is too bad Of you to laugh, Tom
l never, never will marry that man =
81 wouldn't if l were you," consolec
Tom. "But, Mary, wait and see the
man before you decide. He may be
quite decent fellow
"No - said Mary, shaking her head
and biting her cherry lips firmly. 81
hate him beforehand"
"What a spiteful little puss YOU
are !" said her companion, laughing
"No, Tom, I'm not And the
blue eyes became misty. 81 love paps
and Ruth dearly, and l love almost
everybody. l like you, Tom, but
hate Professor La Place. And l wan
you to promise, Tom, that you'll be NY
friend, and not allow him to tease me
into walks, or rides, or tete-a-tetes O
any kind. Will you?'
Would he If she had asked him
to precipitate himself out of the pear
tree upon the steps below, with those
eyes fixed on his, he'd have done it
any man of taste would.
81 promise :" he said, and the,
shook hands on it.
What coy place for chat thai
gnarled old tree was.
And when they had talked owe
everything they could think of, it wa
the most natural thing in the worlC
that Tom should recover the bool
which had slipped down INTO the net
work of tiny boughs, and read poetr,
to his pretty cousin, in the deep must
cal voice that maidens love to lister
to.
And Mary sat there watching the
pretty curls blowing to and fro on hi
broad, white brow, and the long blacl
lashes almost touching his olive cheek
and she thought how very, very hand
some Cousin Tom was, how much h
had changed in the ten years that ha'
elapsed since she had met him, ant
she wondered whether Tom was er
gagged to any pretty girl; somehow sh
hoped not Now, why couldn't Tor
have been rich, like that horrid Profes
sor La Place, instead of a poor medics
student and
Aud when the large black eyes wer
suddenly lifted to hers, Mary felt a
though he had read every thought i
her mind, and blushed scarlet.
Come, Tom," she chartered. t
hide her confusion, "we've been her
long enough Help me down and
will show you the old sun-dial that W
used to heap With butter cups whe
we were children"
A rumbling of wheels it was the re
turning of the carriage, and Mary clun
to Toms arm.
"The awful professor !" she whisper
ed. "Now, Cousin Tom, be sure 20
stand by me through everything"
"To my life's end r' was the whisI
cred answer.
But there was no one in the carriae
save Mr.. Thorne and Ruth.
1t drew up on the grand sweep b,
side the two cousins.
"Where's the professor"
"He was not at the depot" sa
Ruth, "and-"
But Mr.. Thorne had sprung feom Il