Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-04-08

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 l wish
l 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 were together before
this sort of thing began p
Take care; he will hear you, and LIE
is a revengeful creature. l believe him
to be the original little pitcher with
long ears" laughed Susan.
81 don't care if he does hear me-" as
serted Polly, defantly.
Has cupid ears? Certain it is tina.
matters 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, 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 a wife;
and with the prompt decision of mer-
camille 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 "noth-
ing venture, nothing have" he offered
himself at the end of the week, and quite
undiscouraged by Polly's dismayed
"no," sat resolutely down and traced
his parallels, resolved to gain by seige
what he had failed to win at coup by
assault. This complication set the seal
to Polly's discontents.
For just imagine what state of
things it makes" she told her confidante
Sue. "There they sit--the three set
Of ies-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 a
thunderstorm all day long, determined
to get me by myself, and cultivate my
acquaintance, How can he make me
care for him, he says, if he never has the
chance to see me alone? 1t is almost
embarrassing, abominable condition of
affairs. l seriously mediate running
away to teach school--or something.
Home is growing unbearable."
"Why do you dislike Mr.. Olphant
so much? He seems to me very pleas
ant"
"Suei When he leases the life out Of
me! | declare she is blushing. Are you
turning traitor too?"
"Not in the least-I don't know what
mean, that is. What wanted to tell
you was that we're going to have a
young man of our own, also. My brother
Jack is coming home next week"
Chow coherent! | declare, Sue, you
make me suspect something. Jack :?
He's the one who's been so long in Ger
many. Well, | hope you'll enjoy him.;
but pray keep him to yourselves. I've
had enough OF young men, Johns espe-
cially. l never want to see one again as
long as | live-I think. Gracious
there's that tiresome q. q. strolling up
and down in hopes of catching me as |
come out declare it's is uncomfortable.
Goodbye, Sue Tn going home 10y the
back door, if you don't mind" And
catching up her bonnet, Polly vanished,
while Susan Gilmore, with guilty look
IN her eyes, ard a pair of red, red cheeks,
tied hers on, and issuing sedately from
the front door, encountered MIR. Oil
plant, and presently, under his escort,
walked up the street. 'After ALL" she
thought to herself, "if Polly can't like
him, and don't want HIM, why not ?"
Why not, indeed? 1t was unanswerable.
Another fortnight passed. Cousin
Fanny and her .tance went away, but O.
O. still fingered Polly gave an ex-
clamation of despairing disgust when
she learned his intention; but, If .er 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 Gilnores. She saw
little of Sue in those days; Sue was oc-
cupied with her brother, just returned
after his longabsence. Mindful of Polly's
interdict, perhaps, she was i'll no haste
to present him to her friend--a fact
which Polly was disposed to resent,
when, full week after his arrival, she
was brought face to face with him. She
liked Jack Gilmore Mt once. He was
quite different from the other Johns, and
not at all formidable, Polly thought
tall and spare, quiet in speech and shy
In manners, wearing spectacles, too, but
altogether very "nice." What a myriad
of diverse meaninguess may be included
in that word, beloved girls, "nice!"
In John Gilmore's case it meant that
he did not talk nonsense to Polly, and
yet he seemed to like the nonsense she
talked; at least he frightened under it
always, and it made him laugh. He