The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1893-03-16
AN INDENTURE.


which must confess was nearly twenty
four years. Tom was six months younger
than I, and I ruled him with rod of
iron. But one day--the day when I
became twenty-four years old--the
worm turned. He told me that he loved
me.
''Of course" remarked coolly. sTm
your relation, guess. You've got to-
And then he burst out with lot OF
stuff about his not loving me as q rela-
ton, but as wife.
''Tom Barrett" ! said sternly, s'do
you think I would ever marry a man
six months younger than myself have
brought You up, and YOU know it. fl
ever marry anybody twill be mature,
ready made man, who will guide and
control and make me respect himl
Don't you ever say another word to me
about this as long as you live"
And Invent up stairs and cried because
my old Tom was gone.
One OF my birthday presents had been
. check for twenty-five dollars with
which ''to take little trip" my blessed
old uncle said, and decided just to run
down to Ann Arbor on that excuse and
stay as long as wanted to with my old
friend, Orpha Reynolds. I might join
some classes or do some reading and be
contented there for long time-until
Tom had forgotten. And with q tele-
gram to Orpha the next afternoon I was
Of.
Orpha was delighted to see me.
II am so glad you came just now" she
said as we sat together in the half dark
after supper, II shall need You to help
me manage Ed"
ed who?" I inquired with some sur
prise, wondering If Orpha had been
adopting an infant. My friend seemed
. triAe embarrassed.
"Why, Ed Rice, /" she answered slowly.
II guess ] haven't told you about him,
have r. No, guessed she had not.
HE is young boy in the law depart
ment," she went on with conscious air,
"who rooms next door. His eyes have
given out temporarily, 80 that DR.. Car
row has forbidden all college work, and
Ihave just been trying to amuse him
and keep him out Of mischief" All this
was certainly very nice and philanthropic
and quite like Orpha, but what on earth
was she blushing about? I waited for
her next words. She spoke very fast
and would not look at me.
81 wish you would take him off my
hands for awhile-you won't have much
else to do. ! hate to be with him much
myself, he has been acting go for a week
or two. I'm afraid he is beginning to
think he cares for me-especially, you
know. He doesn't Of course-such a
kid" with scornful emphasis and an al
t>'gether unprecedented lapse into slang.
"1ow oldT' I inquired concisely, with
menta, visions of big headed, owl eyed
infant pro- digy bearing law folio under
each arm.
"Oh, twenty. Two, or maybe twenty
three" )" she returne.t nonchalantly. "But
that for man is mer.> infancy. Now
woman"-
But this valuable philoso. .uhical disqui-
sition was abruptly cut shot A sub
dued stamping and shaking WV heard
outside-it had been showing all lay
and we sat listening until some one
banged the street door behind him and
started up stairs three steps at time,
whistling under his breath. THAT'S
Ed" said Orphs and rose to light the
lamp, but she had only just scratched
the match when there was a faint
knock. The sitting room door was
slowly pushed open, and clear, boyish
voice exclaimed:
"Just lighting upf You're late. aren't
your
EYES," said Orpha, turning up the
wick. "Just wait till we have some
Light on the subject and I'll introduce
you to an old friend of mine who came
this afternoon from Grand Rapids. Miss
Barrett, Mr.. Rice," she concluded.
He bowed stiffly and murmured the
conventional happiness; then, with q
sudden, frank impulse, walked over and
shook hands heartily, showing as he
smiled two unmistakable dimples in q
sensitive, extremely attractive face.
He had been there an hour, though il
did not seem half that, when Orpha sent
him home. She had to bohn out o
French grammar lesson for an eight and
quarter the next morning, 80 went to
bed and left her swearing at Dupy in O
pious sort Of way.
Really I did not mean to relieve Orpha
Of her young mission, but how could /
help 1t. Under Orpha's orders he cheer
fully pointed out to me the professional
residences, the frathouses and all the
other inevitables; conducted me over
the museum, the library, the art gallery
and the Laboratories; dragged me around
the boulevard to Cascade and School
girls glen, to Lovers retreat, and final
ly even to the sable fortune teller's on
the Observatory road. In return l i'm
parted to him all my little botanical
lore and allowed him to Join my daily
constitutionals, so that every day, wet
or dry-generally wet In Ann Arbor, You
know, - we sailed forth together in
search Of "specimensp and exercise.
L got acquainted with Ed very fast
these days, and a. came to know him
better ! grew infinitely disgusted and
enraged with Orpha for failing 80 en-
tirely to appreciate him, but dared not
say word for fear Of running what lit
tie chance Ed might still have with her.
Before . month had passed Ann Ar.
bor had laid her spell upon me. I deter
mined to stay out the year anyhow. do
ing full college work, and it might be
that would evsn complete q regular
course. So at the beginning Of the Sec
ond semester I entered as q Especial"