The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-06-20

here and there; and occasionally she
would lay Toms flowers against the
dress to try the effect. When she was
dressed and quite ready she hesitated
for some time before she pinned the
pretty blossoms at her neck with the
great hair brooch which had been her
mothers; then she threw her shawl
over her head so that she might not muss
the flowers, and she tripped down the
street to Sally's house
The big kitchen at the Walters home
was clean and shiny, and the bare
floor smooth as wax; rows of chairs
were set along the sides of the room,
and the bashful, red-faced beaux and
country bellies were sitting in an en-
barrassed silence which was broken by
an occasional giggle.
The organ was at the end Of the
room and Tom Jones stood near it tun-
ing his fiddle Everyone looked ex-
pectant and eager as the hostess bus
tied in and led Miss Smith TO the organ
Tom gravely called:
places for fust set"
"Fust lady balance to the ri ght hand
gent"-callcd Tom. cheerily, and then
he leaned over and nodded toward the
posies at Miss Smiths throat: I'm glad
We wore 'em," whispered he.
Miss Smith blushed to her eyes and
struck a whole handful of false notes,
but nobody noticed it and the dancers
danced on, obedient to Toms call
through figure after figure, ending
with Gran right an left; you done it
so well You can do it a4fn, agin," and
then Tom called ",SedGs-all," and there
was stampede to the water pail and
dipper which stood on chair in the
corner.
When supper was announced, Tom
stiffiy gave his accompanist his arm
and they followed the rest to the din
ing-room. The chairs were all full
and was left only a wash bench, and
they were laughingly told they must
share that
AS he helped Miss Smith to the
cakes and pies and the various
daintics, Tom told her that he was go
ing away, and she murnured that the
young people would miss him sadly.
Then he asked her If she would miss
him, and she murmurcd, even lower,
that she would, and then he followed
that up with another question which
he half whispered and she answered
very low-quite under her breath, but
he understood it, for he looked very
proud when he led her back to the
organ after supper.
When the party "brokc up" every
body came to bid Tom good-by and he
said: Boys an girls, you'll hev to say
goCd-by to Miss Smith too, fur she's
goin' with me-"
Everyone was delighted and sur
all happened, only Mandy Null and
Mrs Walters shook their heads and
said dcspairingly that it seemed too
bad for the village to lose all its musical
talent at once. and six of the girls Sc
cretly determined ON the spot to apply
for the position of organist in the Sun
day-school.
When Tom kissed Miss Smith on the
doorstep that night he told her that if
he had known how very easy it was to
propose he would have done it twenty
years before, and she said: "Oh, Tomr'
and ran In the house When Torn came
to pack her organ for its journey to n
new country they discovered that the
tremolo-stop was broken and the keys
would not respond to its dolcful COM
mand Tom puttercd over it in vain,
until Miss Smith said: Never mind,
Tom; don't care bit if it's never
fixed-I only used that stop when was
lonesome and sad I'm glad it isn't
'VoX' thctS broke Somehow it seems
kind of a good sign, as though wasn't
goin' to need the lonesome one no
more. 'VoX' is joyfnl-let me show
you," and the little woman pulled out
the stop and sat down at the organ and
played Old Hundred with a will.
MARIE MORE MARSH.