The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-12-26
COUSIN TOM.
" Mary, I am astonished r


 thing to astonish her relatives.
 Miss Ruth could scarcely credit the evidence of her own senses in the hay glow of the August morning, when she came out of the shadows of the little south porch and discovered that wonder moving object, half way up among the branches of the huge old pear tree, was not a spray of leaves, nor cluster of sun-cheeked pears, swinging in the blue empyrean, but Miss Mary Thorne, comfortably perched in the crook of the old tree, her carls all fecked with the sifted rays of sunshine, that came down through the shifting canopy of leaves, and book in her hand.
 don't care Y said the little damsel, laughing saucy defiance. "It's the incest place in the world up here. l feel just like 8 bird, with the leaves futtering against my face, and the wind blowing so softly, and intend to stay here. Wouldn't you like to come up here, Ruthy It's easily done. Just put your foot on that knot, and then"
 Ruth, who was thirty, and weighed a hundred and sixty pounds, bristled with astonishment.
 "Mary Thorne are you crazy2 Come down this instant l"
 Indeed shan't!" said the naughty Mary. tossing the silky shower of curls away from her forehead, and glancing down with eyes that shone and sparkled like two blue jewels.
 But we are all going"
 Yes, l understand l; you are all going in triumphal procession to the depot to render an ovation to the great Prof. La Place, the wisest, sagest and gran lest of mankind, to whom the Thorne family have the unutterable honor of being second cousins, and to escort him sol. emnly to a months sojourn at Thorne Hall. Oh. dearl" ejaculated Mary. q wish could run away somewhere and hide. l hate this paragon of prim pre- cision. l shant marry him if he asks, and mean to behave SO badly that he won't dream of it. No, am not going with you. hate the close barouche, and it's too warm to ride on horseback. l shall stay at home."
 And Mary settled herself SC snug!y, with one tiny slippered foot swinging down, and her pretty head close to a nest of blue speckled birds eggs, that Ruth gave it up, with sigh of despair.
 Well, then, have your own way, you incoirigible romp. l wish you weren t too big to shut up in a dark closet, or have your ears we'll boxed."
 It is pity, isn't it ?" said Mary, de. murely.
 "Of course it is, Mary If Cousin Tom Brady comes this morning, be sure to explain to him why we are absent-and behave like young lady, mind 1"
 @All rightp said Mary. dauntlessly. "l always liked Tom. We used to have grand romps togetherp
 She sat there in the old pear tree, pret. tier than any hamadryad that ever might have haunted the messy old veteran of the garden, her cheeks touched with sun. shine and carmine, her dimpled lips apart. now reading line or two from the book in her lap, now looking up, rapt in girlish reverie, into the blue sky, as 1t sparkled down through ever moving leaves, and now breaking into soft little waIble of song, to which the very robins themselves put their heads one side to listen.
 The carriage had driven away long since. She had watched it beyond the curve of the winding road the dark man. tie of shadow was slowly following the creeping sun-glow across the velvet lawn below, and the clock in the old church spire among the far off woods had chimed out eleven.
 And still Mary Thorne sat there in those forked branches of the old pear tree.
 Suddenly there Hoated into her leafy sanctum pungent odor which made her lean curiously forward, shading her eyes with one hand, the better to penetrate the green foliage beloH.
 Not the late monthly roses, nor th C amethyst borders of heliotrope, nor the spicy geraniums-none of these blossoms distilled that peculiar smell.
 My patience" said little Mary; "it's cigar"
 A cigar it was, and the owner thereof she could see white linen coat and a tall head covered with black wavy curls stood on the porch steps quietly smok- ing and indulging in heightened view of the garden slopes.
 "Thats Tom Bradlyl" said Mary to herself. "Now, if he thinks I'm coming down out of this delicious cool place to sit straight in the hot parlors he's mis- taken ] Tom," she called out in silver accent of imperative summons, and then burst into merry laughter at the evident ama5sment with which tho stranger gazed around him, vainly trying to conjecture whence the call had proceeded. "You dear, stupid cousin Tom 1" she eiacu- lated. "Dont stare of toward the cab bage beds. Look straight up here. You may come up if you please; there's plenty of room for both. You are consin Tom, arn't your" she continued, as sud- den misgivings crossed her mind.
 "Of course, am and you are Mary, suppose ?"
 Mary herselE Up with you, Tom I Catch hold of this hranch-therel Now shake hands-you saucy fellow Idid'nt say you might kiss me"
 "Well, ] couldn't help it and besides, aren't we cousins 2" said Mir. Tom, swing inQ himaalf comfoytahlv ;nto . hrsurh