Connecticut western news., 1880-03-17


 process of sampling the family" to borrow Polly's own phrase, had once likened to beautiful Evelyn Hopes, of the true "geranium red."
 GAS if all this wasn't enough" she went on presently, with half giggle, half sob, "here is letter come to-day from Fanny Allen-our cousin, you know-and she is engaged too, and she proposes to make us visit, and her young man means to 'drop along,' forsooth, while she is here. Now where are they to sit? I can't imagine, un- less they take the slr-chamber of the furnace. The front steps are quite too cold at this time of the year. Or l might have the t1unk-room cleared out for them; I hadn't thought of that before."
 "Polly, you are ridiculous. Your cousin will manage all that for herself see if 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 !! I wish I could hold his wings in the candle and burn them of. He never flies but to do mischief somewhere. How peaceful and happy we all were together before this sort of thing began!"
 "Take care he will hear you, and he's a revengeful creature. I believe him to be the original 'little pitcher with long ears,'" laughed Susan.
 "I don't care if he does hear me" asserted Polly, de6antly. ...
 Has Cupid ears2 Certain it is that matters grew worse rather than better for Polly from that day forward. Fanny Allen came, and in due time her lover, &C., cording to programme, and with the latter a cousin, Mir. Othniel Oliphant, suc- cessful merchant, just home from China for a brief visit. His return was not purely for business purposes. MT. Oliphant was on the lookout for wife :; and with the prompt decision of mer- cantile man, he elecSed Polly Patten for that position on two days acquain- tance. A firm believer in the faith that "faint heart never won fair lady," ahd -"nothing venture, nothing have," he offered himself at the end of the week, and quite undiscouraged by Polly's dis mayed "no," sat resolutely down and traced his parallels, resolved to gain by siege what he had failed to win at coup by assault. The complication set the seal to Polly's discontents.
 "Fot just imagine what a 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, one in the 'den,' from which poor papa is turned out bag and baggage and there is that abominable O!O! (never did man have such suit able initials) looming like doom or 8 thunderstorm all day long, determined to get me by myself and sculEivate my acquaintance.' How can he make me care for him, he says, if he never has the chance to see me alone? As if ] wanted to see him or care for him either It is the most embarrassing, abomina. ble condition of affairs. I seriously mediate running away to tea9h school or something. Home is growing un' bearable." g.
 "Why do you dislike MT. Oliphant so much9 He seems to me very pleas ant"
 "Sue! When he teases the life out of me! declare she is blushing. Are you turning traitor tool''
 "Not in the least-I don't know wha you mean, that is. What I wanted te tell you was that we're going to have { young man of our own also. My brother Jack is coming home next week."
 "How coherent! declare, Sue, yor make me suspect something. Jack He's the one who'e been so long in Ger many. We'll, hope you'll enjoy him but pray keep him to yourselves. I'v' had enough of young men, Johns es pecially. Irever want to see one agai1 as long as live-I thissb. Gracious there's that tiresome O. O. strolling ul and down in hopes of catching me as come out. declare it is unendurable Good-by, Sue. I'm going home by tn back door, if you don't mind" An' } catching up her bonnet, Polly vanished while Susan Gilmore, with guilty lool in her eyes, and pair of red, red cheeks tied hers on, and issuing Isedately iron the front door, encountered MT. Oli ) phant, and presently, under his escort 7 walked up the street. ''After all," sh } thought to herself, eff Polly can't lik } him, and doesn't want him, why not |? Why not, indeed? It was unanswerable Another fortnight passed. Cousil l Fanny and her .tarace went away, bu , o. O. still fingered. Polly gave an ez
 clamation of despairing disgust whe 3 she learned his intention; but, after all he did not prove the nuisance that sh
 had feared. He had other friends i town by this time, other engagements E and did not haunt tLe Pattens' hous
 every day, and all day long, as at first
 Polly heard him often at the Gilmores D She saw little of Sue in those days Su was occupied with her brother, just rt : turned after his long absence. Mindfr @ of Polly's interdiot, perhaps, sine was 6 no haste to present him to her friend
 fact which Polly was disposed to resen 3 when, full week after his arrival, sh F was at last brought face to face wit r. him. She liked John Gilmore at ono; ;- He was quite different from the othe r Johns, and not at all formidable, Poll | | hnn