Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-04-15
NO 81
Gales ano Skettbes.
A CONTROVERSY WITH CUPID.

possession OF this house, declared Polly
Patten. with stamp of her foot.
The ''he" referred to was not. as might
be supposed. tramp or aSheriff's officer.
not even poor relation. or an Irish but
Ter, or heather Chiuee. Not ut all.
The object of Polly's wrath was person
age lifted up. rs it would seem, by virtue
of his position. above human criticism rs
above human rules, myth, an unknown
entity-no other. in fact, than the little
god Cupid himself He and his machina-
tons had Of late wrought changes-woful
ones. Polly thought-in the constitution
of the Patten family; and to her imagin-
alton represented all manner of discom-
fort and discontinue, the alteration OF
plans, the blight OF hopes-innovations
and cross purposes without end. She felt
toward him good. honest, hearty hostil-
ity, as one may toward an opponent of
flesh and blood. us she sat in her bedroom,
inveighing upon the subject TO her special
friend Susan Gilmore, who was perchcd
beside her on the broad window-sill.
''Oh. it's all very well to laugh" she
went on, ''but just wait till You try il
yourself. All last year was given up. YOU
know, to marrying Helen. Her trosscau.
and her presents. and her furnishing
nothing else was thought of or spoken Of
for twelve long months. The house was
choked with her things. We all worked
our fingers 10 the bone. Nobody could
turn round without finding woman and
a sewing machine at his back We never
even pretended to hear ourselves speak.
Well. Just as it was all over. and Helen
comfortably off our minds, Lizzie must
needs set up lover and loud cngagage-
ment-John Shaw. too. of all persons
Now l may be dull. but III the name of
common sense why John Shaw. of all
men in the world p''
Lizzie knows. presume
"Well, perhaps she does still it is pro-
voking. Every morning of his lie John
Shaw looks in for half an hour on his way
down town. He and Lizzie absorb the
parlor. of course. That is all right, no
doubt but it so happens, that particular
half hour is the one which used always
to take to tidy up the flowers. water and
trim, fill the vases. and make the room
nice for the day. and the want of it puts
me out dreadfully. | sit and twirl my
thumbs and scold to mother. and she win
never agree with me. Lovers are privi-
legged she says
"Of course they are. Don't be n spoil
sport. Polly. It's their turn now. Yours
will come.':
Never! But there's more behind What
do you say to Eunice's indulging in nm en-
gagement too?'
mot really p"
Every really indeed John Norman is
the happy man this time. Two Johns,
You observe. by way of making the con-
fusion greater. Do they sit in the dining
room every evening, while Lizzie and
her John occupy the parlor."
"And where do the rest of you sitp''
echo answers. We sit wherever we
may. Mother takes her mending basket
up stairs. and has student lamp on the
round table in the upper entry, Papa
shuts himself up in that dreadful little
close den of his, or goes TO the office.
observe that he has business there of even
ings much oftener than formcrly-because
there is Is no comfortable place for him
at home, no doubt. Jim makes point of
the 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 a very
mutinous look about the pretty mouth,
WniCH oOfIH WIIIfc III DIOcCSS Oi
''sampling the family to borrow Pollv's
Evelyn Hopes. of the true "gcraneum
red"
.As if all this wasn't enough" she
went on presently, with half gigglc,
half sob, "herc is letter come to-day
from Fanny Allen-our cousin, you know
and she is engaged too. and she propos-
es to make us visit. and. her young man
means to drop along forsooth, while she
is here. Now where are they to sitp I
can't imagine, unless they take the air.
chamber of the furnace. The front steps
are quite too cold at this time of the year.
Or might have the trunk-room cleared
out for them; hadn't thought of that be-
FORE
Polly you are ridiculous. Your cous-
in will manage all that for herself--sec il
she doesn't. They will take walks, or
something"
'.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 be! Sue, you are
abominably tolerant about such matters.
That miserable Cupid! l wish ! could
hold his wings in the candle and burn
them off. He never flies but to do mis-
chief somewhere. How peaceful and
happy we all were together before this
sort of thing began.''
Take care he will hear you, and he $
a revengeful creature. believe him to
be the original little pitcher with long
ears - laughed Susan.
"Idon't care if he does hear me,'' as
serted Polly, defiantly.
| Has Cupid earsp Certain it is that mat
ters grew worse rather than better for
Polly from that day forward. Fanny
Allen came, and in due time her lover,
according to programme, and with the
latter cousin, Mr.. Othnlel Oliphant, y
successful merchant, just home from
China for brief visit. His return was
not purely for business purposes. Mr..
Oliphant was on the lookout for a vile !;
and with the prompt decision of mer-
camille man, ne elected Polly Patten for
that position on two days acquaintance
A firm believer in the faith hat .sfaint
heart never won fair lady," and nothing
venture, nothing have," he offered him
self at the end Of the week, and quite un-
discouraged by Polly undismayed mo, !
sat resolutely down and traced his paral