The Princeton union., 1880-06-24
81 don't care if he does hear me, & as
serted Polly. difianflv.

man, he selected Polly Patten for that
position on a two days ACQUAINTANCE. A
firm believer Ia the faith that ssfaint heart
never won a fair lady = and nothing ven
ture, othing have, Z he offered himself at
the end Of the week, and quite undis-
couraged by Polly's dlsmayed ssno,, sat
resolutely down and traced his parallels.
resolved to gain by siege what he had
failed to win-a coup . by assault. This
complication set the seal to PollY's dis
contents. @s 5..
For just imagine what a state Of
things it makes, = she'tol ldEher cont Gdante,
Sue. There they sit the three sets Of
ninnles one in the parlor, one in the
dining ON, enc in the sden,' from which
poor papa is turned out bag and baggage
and there is that abeminable O! O.! 1nev-
er did man have such suitable initials)
looming like doom or thunder. storm
all day long, determined to get me by
myself, and cultivate my acquaintance
How can he make me care for him, he
says,lf he never has the chance to see
me alone? 1t is the most embarrassing
abominable condition Of affairs. / seri-
ously mediate running away to teach
school-or something. Home is, grow
ing unbearable. 2 81
"Why do you dislike Mr.. Oliphant so
much? He seems to me very pleasant y
"Sue! When he leases the life out Of
me! l declare she is blushing. Are YOU
turning traitor too?
Not in the Least I don't know what
you mean, that is. What I wanted to
tell you was that we're going to have a
young man Of our own also. NV brother
Jack is coming home next week.
"How coherent! declare, Sue YOU
make me suspect something. Jack9
He's the one WHO'S been so long in Ger
many. Well, i hope you'll enjoy him
but pray keep him to yourselves. I've
had enough Of young men. Johns es-
peclally. | never want to see one again
as long as l liye-I think. Gracious !
there's that tiresome o. o. strolllng up
and down in hopes of catching me when
come out. | declare it is unendurablc.
Good-by, Sue, I'm going home by the
back door, if you don't mind And
catching up her bonnet, Polly vanished.
while Susan Gilmore, with a guilty look
in her eyes, and pair Of red, red cheeks,
the front door, encountered Mr.. Oliphant,
and presently, under his escort, walked
UP the street. "if Polly can't like him
and doesn't want him, why not9 Why
not, indeed? It was unanswerable.
Another fortnight passed. Ceusin Fan
ME and her fancee went away, but @. O..
still fingered. Polly gave an exclama-
ton of despair1ng disgust when she fully
learned his intentions but, after all, he
did not prove the nuisance sae had fear
ed. He had other friends in town by this
time, other engagements, and did not
haunt the Pattens' house every day and
all day long as at first. Polly heard OF
HIM often at the Gllmores'. She saw lit
tie Of Sue in those days; Sue was occu-
pied with her brother, just returned after
his long absence. Mindful of Pelly's In
terdict, perhaps, she was in no haste to
present him to her friend-a fact which
Polly was disposed to resent, when.
full week after his arrival, she was at
last brought face to face with him. She
liked John Gilmore at once. He was
quite different from the other Johns, and
not at all formidable, Polly thought
tall, spare, quiet IN speech and shy in
manner, wearing spectacles, too, but al
together very nice. What myriad of
diverse meanings may be included ia
that word, beloved Of girls, ssnice!''
In John Gilmore's placeit meant that
he did not talk nonsense to Polly, and
yet that he seemed to like the nonsense
she talked; at least he frightened under
it always and it made him laugh. He
never bored her with sense and long ex-
plantations, but she never was in his com
pany without finding herself afterwards
thinking of things which he had said.
and looking up little points of informa-
ton suggested by his talk. He was so
kind hearted, too--a always SO kind He
didn't sneer at her diatrlbes against love
and lovers; and he seemed to understand
and be a little sorry for her. left out in
the cold, solitary in the midst of a circle
once SO onein interest and so closely uni
ted. Here was q genuine TREND at last,
she reflected friend OF her own; and
comforted thereby for her losses, she
grew more tolerant Of other peoples hap
plness, and even when little later, a
great wave OF surprise and sudden chang
es broke over the home and all in it. still
the tolerance wen on. ~
For, first, John n orman had a partner
ship offered him ii South America, and
he and Eunice had to be got ready at
two months notice to sail TO their new
home. And while Polly was tolling
over the hurried preparation which was
all that time made possible, Susan Gill
more, her one special friend, called one
morning, and with q burst OF emotion,
quite unwonted IN the staid Sue, confid-
ed to her the fact that she was engaged
engaged to o. O., who was the loYel1-
est, dearest man that ever was, though
Polly had been SO unkind as not to find
it out "a fact she (Sue) was very gladlot
wand they were to be married IN six
weeks, and sail for China directly after
ward. And would her dearest Polly
forgive her, and promise to love o. O..
all she possibly could, just for her
sake2 '
You too2'' was all Polly's reply. But
she put her arms round Sues neck with
a tear and sob and all was smooth be-
tween them. Sue, who had dreaded the
interview, was amazed at Polly's forbear-
ance. a change had evdently y come ever