The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1886-12-07
SrIert Starr.
Tilly's Choice

Tilly's Choice.
"Oh, Tilly. McEwens! ! never saw
the likes of your
.Sh-h!' said Miss McEwens, he
black eyes dancing with fun.
Its the quecrest thing that yor
can't lell your own mind," resumed
Poll Evans. ut would take pow
er of talk, though, to make me thinl
you amt putting some of it on.
guess il / had two after me"
"Oh, pshaw, Poll, wait till yor
know something about it. You never
had beau in your life, and I've hac
n dozen or so. And now | mean t.
get married"
Well, said Poll, rather sullenly
81 amt so old as you. Anyway,
expect always to be sharp enough to
know which of two things / like
best"
"Sharp isn't the word, Pcll. It's
not question of fortune. / don't
know whether I'd prefer to be Mrs.
Jones, the wife of the jeweler, OF
Mrs. johnson, the wife OF one of the
bosses of the mills. don't know
whether like best Jones's blue eyes
and / adore blue eycs-or John
sons black mustache-and / love a
black mustache. Oh! there never
was girl in such quandary"
1t was about week after this
that Miss McEwens came home to
supper with tragic face, and a let
ter in her pocket. Poll, in the door
way, nudged her, and pointed to her
plate on the dining table, beside
which lay another letter. Tilly
swept this also into her pocket, ate
her supper in absolute silence, and
afterward beckoned Poll to follow
her up stairs.
"Don't say word,' Miss McEw
ems said, sitting down on the first
chair she came to. Il know all
about it. One letter is from Jones
and the other from johnson, and
they are both dated to-day. And
there you sit and laugh!'
1t was not very kind of Poll, but
it is fact that she had sat down on
the bed and laughed till the tears
ran down her cheeks.
II can't for my life tell which ]
like best, Poll, which do you think
is nicest?'
"You amt goin' by anything ]
say. like johnson best"
"Oh. but Jones is more than
gentleman. And they're both COM
ing here tonight to Ellen Reeves's
surprise party, and each says / can
answer him to night. Think Of that,
POLL" and Miss McEwens walked
the room desperately; "both coming
for answer tonight"
"She does beat the Dutch"
thought Poll, an hour later, as she
watched lilly moving about among
the noisy and motley gathering be-
low stairs, as gay as the gayest, her
own saucy, indifferent little self
again In one corner Jones was
standing, stationary as the enormous
vase of dried flowers on the taple at
his side, over the top Of which he
stared at Tilly. In another corner
Mr. johnson was trying to smile at
the saIlies of young lady at his
side, and also covcrtly watching Til
ly, who was an illustration of perpe-
tual motion. Between talking,
laughing. dancing and flirting, she
had not second to spare. She.
smiled most sweetly on her two ador-
ers, but managed to vanish like a
sprite from their immediate neigh
borhood. In vain they made monu-
ments of themselves. lilly would
not ~otice. But, as fate would have
it, she presently tore breadth of
her dress across.
For the moment, in herannoyance,
she forgot everything but the acci
dent, and, with sn apology to her
partner, whirlcd out of the Virginia
reel and started for her own room.
How long she was pinning up that
breadth she never knew. When she
dared to stay away no longer she
put out her lamp and slowly-very
slowly-began to descend the stairs.
Of course she at last reached the
bottom stair, upon which she sat
down and dolefully regarded the
lines of light under the parlor doors,
as if they would help herto a con-
clusion.
1t was but moment that she sat
there, but in that moment she was
terribly startled by'a sudden move
ment close by her in the dard. Her
hand was ciasped in two others, and
a voice whispered:
"Tilly, / want my answer. Aren't
you going to give it to me?''
Miss McEwens was struck dumb.
"Why don't you speak? / know
it's you;" and daring hand touch
ed the short curls on Tilly's fore
head.
Miss McEwens would have given
a deal TO have been as sure of the
identity of the questioner. If he
would only speak aloud, or if some
one would open one of the parlor
doors!
"Tilly"-this time the whisper
was urgent-Sit's new or never with
me. Ifyou don't give me an up-and-
down Yes or No you'll never have
the chance again.
'Well, then-yes.'
The next instant there was an ex-
clamation, somewhere beyond in the
dark space, that sounded very pro-
fame. The coat collar of the arm of
the individual nearest. Tilly was
seized by third person and the lov-
er she had just accepted was whirl-
ed violently against the opposite
Z wall. There was scuffie in the
dark.
Tilly, little coward that she was,
uttered loud scream and ran back