Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1880-03-20

y
young man of our own, also. My
week"
How coherent! 4 declare, Sue,
you make me suspect something. JackP
He's the one who's been so long in
Germany. Well, 1 hope you'll enjoy
him; but pray keep him to yourselves.
I've had enough of young men, Johns
especially. l never want to see one
again as long as l live-I think. Gra-
cious! there's that tiresome 0. o..
strolling up and down in hopes of
catching me as L come out. I declare
it is uncomfortable. Goodbye, 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, tied hers
, on, and, issuing sedately from the front
door, encountered Mr.. Oliphant, and
presently, under his escort, walked up
the street. ''After all,' she thought
! to herself, if Polly can't like him, and
doesn't want him, why notP" Why not,
| indeedP 1t was unanswerable.
Another fortnight passed. Cousin
! Fanny and her 1fdnce went away, but
o. o. still fingered. Polly gave an ex-
clamation of despairing dis sgust when
she learned his intention; but, after
all, he did not prove the nuisance she
had feared. 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 Gil
mores'. She saw little of Sue in those
days; Sue was occupied with her
brother, Just returned after his long
absence. Mindful of Polly's interdict,
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 and spare, quiet III speech and
shy in manner, wearing spectacles, too,
but altogether very "nice." What a
myriad of diverse meanings may be
included in that word, beloved of girls,
"nicer'
In John Gilmore's case it meant that
he did not talk nonsense to Polly, and
| yet that he seemed to like the nom
sense she talked; at least he frightened
under it always. and it made him laugh.
He never bored her with sense and
long explanations, but she was never
in his company without finding herself
atterward thinking about things which
he had said, and looking up little
points of information suggested by his
talk. He was so kind-hearted, too
always so kind! He didn't sneer at
her diatribes against love and lovers;
| ho f, T.
little sorry for her, left out in the cold,
solitary in the midst of her sisterly cir
Gle once so one in interest and so close
| ly united. Here was a genuine friend
at last, she Reflected friend of her
own; and comforted thereby for her
losses, she grew little more tolerant
of the happiness of other people; and
even when, little later, a great wave
of surprise and sudden changes broke
over the home and all in it, still the
! tolerance continued.
For, first, John Norman had part
nership offered him in 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 toll
ing over the hurried preparation, which
was all that time made possible, Susan
Gilmore, her one special friend, called
| one morning, and, with burst of emo
ton quite unwonted in the ssaid Sue,
confided the fact that she was engaged
engaged to 0. O., who was the love-
liest, dearest man that ever was. though
| Polly had been SO unkind as not to find
it out-a fact she (Sue) was very glad
of ssoa0-and they were to be married in
six weeks, and sail for China directly
afterward. And would her dearest
Polly forgive her, and promise to love
| o. o. all she possibly could, just for
her sakep
| "You, toop'' was all Polly's reply.
Butshe put her arms around Sues neck,
with q tear and sob, and all was
smooth between them. Sue, who had
! dreaded the interview, was amazed at
Polly's forbearance. A change had
evidently come over the spirit of her
dream. Trials, we are told, have a
Christening effect on the character. Was
it her trials which were thus blessed to
Polly.
After that, all was bewilderment and
confusion dire till the two weddings
were over. Eunice and John departed
the day after theirs, and a lull fell upon
the weary household. Mrs. Patten
went up stairs to lie down. Polly, who
| sighed for fresh air, departed for a
walk with John Gilmore, who missed
his sister so much, poor fellowi and
Amy, the cGdette of the family, prepar.
ed to celebrate their newly-recovered
freedom by adorning and making beau.
tiful the dining-room, now rescued
from courting purposes, and restored
again to the common use of the house
hold.
A busy afternoon, indeed, did little
| Amy make for her herself, but it was
merry one, and she sang as she worked
Every vase in the room she filed with
violets and wild flowers, or apple
blooms from the just blossomed or
chard. The curtains were pulled to ex
actly the ideal angle, the chairs re
grouped, all the horrid look taker
away, Amy thought, as if the room
were meant for only two, and for M
one else. 1t was dusk when she finish
ed, and, curling up in the sofa corner
she awaited with impatience Polly's re
turn-Polly, who had hated the love
making as much as she had, and would
be so pleased! Polly was the one per
} son in the house of whose sympathie
Amy felt quite sure.
J She was long in coming, but sh,
| came at last. Amy heard her step OF
J the porch, and with it another step
louder, firmer. Surely that tiresom,
| John Gilmore was not coming in t,
! spoil everything this first tpleasant night
No; he had come to see papa. Am,
, heard him tap at the door of the eden,
while Polly ran up stairs. He emerge,
, as she came down; there was Ion,
confabbing in the entry; but at last tn
front door shut with delightful EN-
, phasis, and Amy jumped up from tn
: sofa to enjoy the effect of her surprise
"Come in-oh, do come imp sh
cried. 81 want you to see if the dea
old room doesn't look lovely. I've bee
all the afternoon doing it, so that
: might be nice for our first evening
Z Isn't it pleasant to have q room to sit i
againp Aren't you glad that the wee
, ding is over, and all the tiresome love
making, and we can have cozy littl
l times at home like other peoplep Why
) Polly, how queer you look! Don't 20
like itP What makes you do sop"-fc
/; Polly, half tearfully, was kissing an
: fondling the child.
T go, I do, Amy darling, I do like