The Washington critic., 1886-05-18

|
Ruth dearly, and love almost every
body. like you, Tom. but | hate
| Professor La Place And | want YOU
to promise, Tom, that you'll be my
friend, and not allow him to tease me
any kind. win your"
Would he? If 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.
II Ipromise, he said, and they shook
hands on It.
What cosy place for a chat that
gnarled old tree was.
And when they had talked over
every thing they could think of it was
the most natural thing in the world
that Tom should recover the book
which had slipped down into the net
work of tiny boughs, and read poetry
to his pretty cousin in the deep must
| cal voice that maidens love to listen to.
And Mary sat there watching the
| jetty curls blowing to and fro on his
| broad, white brow, and the long, black
lashes almost touching his olive cheeks;
and she thought how very, very hand.
some 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 horrd
Professor La Place. instead of poor
medical student, and
And when the large black eyes were
suddenly lifted to hers, Mary felt as
though he had read every thought of
her mind, and blushcd scarlet.
Come Tom, she chattered, to hide
her confusion, we've been up here
long enongh. Help me down, and /
will show you the old sun dial that we
used TO heap up with buttercups when
we were children"
A rumble of wheels, II was the re-
turning carriage, and Mary clung to
Tom arm.
"Tho awful professor" she whis.
pered. "Now, Cousin Tom, be sure
and stand by me through everything"
"To my lifc's end," was the whis.
pered answer.
But there was no one in the carriage
save Mrs. Thorne and Ruth.
1t drew up on the grand sweep beside
the two cousins.
where's the Professor?"
"Hewas not at the depot" said Ruth !;
"and -'
But Mr.. Thomas had sprung from
the carriage and grasped both the
strangers S hands in his.
| "EaPlace, is 1t possible? Why, we
| have just been looking for you at Milk
| Station"
II am sorry have Inconvenience
you, sir" was the reply; "but / came
by the way of Wharton, and walked
over this morning"
| Never mind, now you are safely
here, exclaimed the old gentleman.
Ruth, my dear-Mary, let me intro.
duce you to your cousin, Professor La
| Place"
Mary had dropped his arm and stood
dismaycd.
"You told me that you were Cousin
Tom"
"That is my name, and l believe
am distant cousin by relationship.
Now. Mary" and the black eyes
sparkled. don't be angry because
don't take snuff or wear spectaclcs. l
beg the other Cousin Toms pardon,
whoever he is, but l am very glad he
isn't here. Mary, be just and don't
hate Cousin Tom because his other
name happens to be La Place"
But no doubt 1t was very perplex-
ing. thing to have two cousin Tom s; aud
so, about six months subsequently,
Miss Mary tried to obviate this by allow
ing one to assume nearer relationship;
| and, in spite of all her asseyerations tn
the contrary, she is Mrs. Professor La
Place.
For It is solemn fact In this world,
that when n girl says she will never,
never do a thing, she is pretty sure to
do 1t the first chance she gets; and Mary
is no exception to the general rule.