Middletown transcript., 1881-01-07

: out IOr a Wlfe and Win Jne pfOmp'
decision of a mercantile man, he elected
Polly Patten for that position on two
{ days acquaintance. A firm believer in
{ the faith that faint heart never won
7 fair lady, and nothing venture, moth
ing have, he offered himself at the end
of the week, and quite undiScouraged
, by Polly's dismayed mo, sat resolutely
: down and traced his parallels, resolved
to gain by siege what he had failed to
: win at a coup by assault. This com
plication set the seal to Polly's discon-
tents.
For just imagine what a state of
; things it makes, she told her contidante
} 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!OI 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 the
most embarrassing, abominable condi-
tion of affairs. l seriously mediate
running away to teach school-or
something. Home is growing unbear-
able.
why do you dislike Mr.. Oliphant SO
much ? He seems to be very pleas
ant
Sue when he leases the life out Of
me I declare she is blushing. Are
you turning traitor too 2
Not in the least-I don't know what
you mean, that is. What | wanted to
tell you was that we're going to have a
young man of our own also. Ny broth
er Jack is coming home next week.
How coherent declare, Sue, you
make me suspect something Jack ?
He's the one who's been so long in
Germany. Well, hope you'll enjoy
him but pray keep him to yourselves.
I've had enough Of young men, Johns
especially. 1 never want to see one
again as long as I live-I think. Gra-
cious there's that tiresomeO 0, o, stroll
ing up and down in hopes of catching
me as | come out. | declare it is un-
endurable. 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 a
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 not p Why not
indeed? +? 1t was unanswerable.
Another fortnight passed Cousin
Fanny and her fance went away, but
Q, 0, still fingered. Polly gave an ex-
clamation Of despairing disgust 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 broth
er, 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 dis
posed to resent, when, full week after
his arrival, she was at last brought face
to face with him. She liked John Gil
more at 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 man
ner, wearing spectacles, too, but alto
gether very nice. What a myriad Of
diverse meanings may be included in
that word, beloved Of girls, mice 7
In John Gimore's ease it meant that
he did not talk nonsense to Polly, and
yet that he seemed to like the nonsense
she talked at least he brighted 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 after
ward 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 din't sneer at her diatribes
against love and lovers and he seemed
to understand and be little sorry for
her, left cut in the cold, solitary in the
midst Of the sisterly circle once so one
in interest and so closely united. Here
was genuine friend at last, she reflect
ed-a 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 surprises and sudden
changes broke over the home and all in
it, still the tolerance continued.
For, first, John Norman had a 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
tion quite unwonted in the staid Sue,
contided the fact that she was engaged
engaged to o. O., who was the love
lest. dearest man that ever was, though I
Polly had been SO unkind as not to find
it out-a fact she (Sue) was very glad