The Washington critic., 1886-05-18
=" COUSIN TOM"
MARY, I am astonishedl"

vi course tnc grave, clucr SlSlcr was
astonished. In truth and in fact she
lived In q chronic state of astonishment,
for Mary Thorn was always doing
something to astonish her relative.
Miss Ruth could scarcely credit the
evidence Of her own senses in the hazy
glow Of the August morning, when she
came out of the shadows Of the little
south porch and discovered that yonder
moving object half way up among the
branches of the huge pear tree was not
spray of leaves, nor cluster of sun
checked pears swinging in the blue
empyrean, but Miss Mary Thorn. com
tree, her curls all fecked with the
sifted rays of sunshine that came down
through the shifting canopy of leaves,
and book in her hand.
II don't carel" said the little dam
sci laughing saucyd efance. "lt's the
incest place in The world up here.
feel, just like bird, with the leaves
fluttering against my face, and the
wind blowing so softly, and intend
to stay here. Wouldn't you like to
come up here, Ruth? It's easily done.
Just put, your foot on that knot, and
then"
Ruth, who was 30, and weighed 100,
bristled with astonishment.
Mary Thornel are you crazyl Come
down this instant"
Indeed shan't." said the naughty
Mary, tossing the silky shower Of ouris
| away from her forehead, and glancing
down with eyes that shonc and sparkled
| like two blue jewels.
"But we are all going"
| Eyes, / understand; you are all go
ing In triumphal procession to the
| depot to render an ovation to the great
Professor La Place, the wisest, sagest
and grandest of all mankind, to whom
the Thorne family have the unuttera.
BILE honor of being second cousins, and
to escort him solemnly to a month s
sojourn at Thorne Hall. On, dearl"
| calculated Mary, II wish l could run
away somewhere and hide. / hate
this paragon of prim precision! /
shan't marry him he asks, and mean
to behave so badly that he won't dream
Of 1t. No, am not going with you. I
hate the close barouchc, and it's too
warm to ride on horseback. / shall
| stay at home
| And Mary settled herself 80 snugly,
with one tiny slippered foot swinging
down and her pretty head close to q
nest of blue speckled birds eggs, that
Ruth gave II up with sigh of despair.
"Well, then, have your own way,
you incorrigible romp; / wish you
weren't too big to shut up in dark
closet, or have your ears we'll boxed"
"1rs pity, isn't:it," said Mary. de.
murely.
"Of course 1t is, Mary! If Cousin
Tom Bradley comes this morning, be
sure to explain to him why we are absent
and behave like young lady, mind"
"All right" said Mary, dauntlessly
II always liked Tom. We used to have
grand romps together?"
She sat there in the old pear tree,
prettier than any hamadryad that ever
might have haunted the messy old
veteran of the garden, her cheeks
touched with sunshine and carmine,
her dimpled lips apart, now reading q
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 warble of
song, to which the very robins them.
selves put .heir heads one side to listen.
The carriage had driven away long
since. She had watched 1t beyond the
curve Of the winding road, the dark
mantle of shadow was slowly follow
ing the creeping sunglow across the
velvet lawn below, and the clock in
the old church spire among the faroff
| woods had chimed ont IT
And still Mary Thorne sat there in
those forkcd branches of the old pear
tree.
| Suddenly there floated in her leafy
sanctum 4 dpungent odor which made
her lean curiously forward, the better
to penetrate the green foliage below.
Not the late monthly roses, nor the
amethyst border of helitrope, nor the
spicy geraniums-nonc of those bios
SONS distilled that peculiar smell.
''My patience" said little Mary,
otis cigar.
A cigar it was, and the owner thereof
she could see white linen coat aud
Il tall head covered with black, wavy
curls-stood on the porch steps quietly
smoking and induging in heightened
view of the garden slopes.
That's Tom Bradlyp said Mary to
herself. ''Now, If he thinks I'm COM
ing down out of this delicious cool
place to sit straight in the cool parlors,
he's mistaken Tom !" she called out
in silver accent of imperative sum
mons, and then burst into merry laugh
ter at the evident amazement with
which the stranger gazed around him
vainly trying to conjecture whence the
call had proceeded. "You dear, stupid
cousin Tom !" she calculated. "Don',
stare off toward the cabbage beds
Look straight up here. You are cousin
Tom, aren't you ?" she continued, as
sudden misgivings crossed her mind
"Of course am; and you are, Mary
suppose"
Mary herself-"Up with you, Tom
Catch hold of this branch-there Now
shake hands, you saucy fellow.
didn't say you might kiss me-"
"Well, couldn't help II; and, be
sides, aren't we cousins?" said Mr.
Tom, swinging himself comfortably
into branch just above Mary.
"Why. Tom, how you hav,
changed!" calculated the young lady
pushing back the curls with one hand
that she might better view the play
mate of her childhood days. "Youl
hair never curled so before; and wha
a fine moustache you've gotl Shouldn'
have known you, Toni
Nor" said Tom, roguishly.
"And you have grown so tall do
clare, Tom, you're splendid"
81 could return the compliment If
dared. But where are all the rest OF
the family? The house now Is as empty
us haunted hall"
"All gone to welcome that horrid
nOkY old Professor La Place. who In,