Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-04-09

observe, by way of making the confusion
greater. So they sit in the dining room
every evening. while Lizzie and her John
occupy the parlor.''
Ia stAnd where do the rest of you sit 7"
essEcho answers: We sit wherever We
may. Mother takes her mending basket
upstairs, and has a student lamp on the
round table in the upper entry. Papa shuts
himself up in that dreadful little ose
dem of his or goes to the office. observe
ltnat he has business there of evenings
/ much oftefer than formerly because
i there is no comfortable place for him al
home, no doubt. Jim makes point Of
being out. AS for Amy and me, we sit on
sgthe back stairs, or in the buffers pantry
or any other odd corner which nobody else
wants.' Polly laughed, but there were
tears in her brown eyes, and very mutt
nous look about the pretty mouth, which
John Norman, while in process of ''sam-
ping the family to borrosk ROlly's own
phrase, had once likened to beautiful Eve
Ign Hopes, of the true geranium red.
LAS if all this wasn't enough she went
on presently with half giggle, half sob.
there is a letter come to day from Fanny
Al.en-our cousin you knOw-and she is
engaged too; and she proposes to make us
a visit, and her young man means to drop
along forsooth, while she is here. Now
where are they to sit? I can't imagine
unless they take the air-chamber of the
furnace. mhe front steps are quite too
cold at this time of the year. Or might
have the trunk-room cleared out for them;
1 hadn't thought of that BEFORE"
poly, you are ridiculous. Your cousin
will manage that for herself-see if she
doesn't. They will take walks, or some
thing.''
''Oh, if they only would If the whole
lot of them would take walks and keep
on walking, and never walk this way, how
comfortable it would bel. Sue, you are
abominably tolerant about such matters.
That miserable Cupid I wish 1 could
hold his wings in the candle and burn them
off. He never flies in but to do mischief
somewhere. How peaceful and happy we
all ere together before this sort of thing
began ~
Take care; he will hear, and he is a
revengeful creature, I believe him to be
the original little pitcher with long ears
laughed Susan.
Il don't care if he does hear me,'' as
serted Polly de6antly.
las Cupid ears? Certain it is that mat
tiers grew worse rather than better for Pol
ly from that day forward. Fanny Allen
came, and in due time her lover, according
to programme. and with the latter cous-
in, Mr.. Othniel OliphaLt. a successful
merchant. just home from China for
brief visit. His return was not purely for
business purposes. Mr.. Oliphant was on
the lookout for wife; and with the
pro mpt decision of mercantile man, he
elected Polly Patten for that position on
two days. acquaintance. A firm believer
in the faith that faint heart never won
fair lady," and nothing venture, nothing
have he offered himself at the end of a
week, and quite undiscouraged by Polly's
dismayed no. sat resolutely down and
traced his parallels, resolved to gain by siege
what he had failed to win at a coup by as
sault. This complication set the seal to
Polly's discentents
"For just imagine what state Of things
it makes. ;" she told her confdante Sue.-
"There they sit-the three sets of ninnies
-one in the parlor, one in the dining room
and one in the den,' from which poor pa
pa is turned out bag and baggage, and
there is that abomlnable To-! 20 never did
man have such suitable initials) looming
like doom or thunder-st storm all day long,
determined to get me by myself and 'culti-
vate my acquaintance How can be make
me care for him, he says, if he never has
a chance to see me alone? It is the most
embarrassing, abominable condition Of af-
fairs. seriously mediate running away
to teach schooI-or something. Home il
growing unbearable."
''Why do you dislike Mr.. Oliphant SO
much? He seems to me very pleasant -"
'Suel When he leases the life out of
me | declare she is blushing. Are you
turning traitor too?''
s'Not in the least-I don't know what
you mean. that is. What l wanted to tell
you was that we're going to have young
man of our OWL also. My brother Jack is
coming home next week."
"How coherent 1 declare, Sue, you
make me suspect something. Jack? He's
the one who's been so long in Germany
Well, hope you'll enjoy him; but pray
keep HIM to yourselves. I've had enough
of young men, Johns especially. I never
want to see one again as long as live-I
think. Gracious there's that tiresoma
o. o. strolling up and down in hopes Of
catching me as come out. I declare it is
uncomfortable. Good-by, Sue. I'm going
home by the back door if you don't mind. -
And catching up her bonnet, Polly van
isbed, while Susan Gilmore. with guilty
look in her eyes, and pair Of red cheeks,
tied hers on, and issued sedately from the
door, encountered Mr.. Oliphant, and pres
emily, under his escort walked up the
street. CATER all, she thought to herself,
''if Polly can't like him, and doesn't want |
him, why not?" Why not, indeed? 1t was |
unanswerable.
Another fortnight passed, Cousin Fanny I
and her fance went away, but o. o. still
fingered: Fplly gave PIP exclamation of
disgust when she learned his in
tention; but, after all. he did not prove
the nuisance she had feared. He had other
friends in town by this time, other engage
ments, and did not haunt the Pattens'
house every day, and all day lang. as at
first. Polly heapd OF him often at the Gil