The suburban citizen., 1901-04-06
An Odd COurtship.
BY Helena Dixon.

will be more like something If it had
a carpet and a sofa, and a picture OF
two, and a centre-table-and above
all, curtains for the windows.
You hain't got many dishes, 1 don't
suppose; but I'll bring a host. I've
got two whole sets of blue stoneware
all except the slop bowls, besides the
best part of gilt china set. You've
seen 'em, guess. The house wants
painting, too; l never saw so brown a
house for a white one. Then well
want an extension table, so when Bet.
sy and her children visit us they can
all sit down. Don't be offended dear
Ebenezer; l shouldn't have said all
this, for the world, but you know you
asked me-"
Ebenezer didn't know whether he
ought to be offended or not. He was
hattered and yet mortified.
Polly put her hand in her pocket
and brought out her handkerchief,
and with it came her tatting shuttle
and thread The sight Of these brought
her mind back to the sober realities
Of life. 1t was stitch, stitch, stitch,
with poor Polly from morning to
night, with no one to love her or
care for her as she merited So she
sat down with her back to the bushes,
and when Ebenezer knew by the low
sObs that reached him that she was
crying, ne let go the bushes careful
! ly, so as not to disturb her, and
walked off home.
He lay awake till long after mid.
night that night. His thumb palned
him some, but his sleeplessness was
not caused wholly by that
He was thinking of the time, many
years back, when Polly Virgins, then
a rosy girl Of eighteen, was very dear
to him. He remembered, too, how she
! had gone to Dame Chadwick's "apple
CUT one night with Jim Winters. and
that she tlirted with him all the even
! ing. He remembered too how angry
and jealous he was about it, and that
! he treated her coldly and never sought
to WOO her after that He made re-
! solve at last, and then he closed his
! eyes and went to sleep-to dream Of
tables OF all kinds, with sofas and
pictures, and blue dishes, and rolls Of
carpeting, and poppy and marigold
seed by the bushel being piled prom
iscuously in his front yard, and that
he was giving to the house a coat Of
white paint
Then he was stretching and tacking
down a carpet in the garret, and
He awoke with a groan. He must
have been hammering away at his
sore thumb for it was throbbinc and
aching terribly. Sleep was out of the
question now, so Ebenezer got up and
lighted a lamp and walked the bare
hoor till daylight, wondering why he
had never felt so lonely before. and
thinking, as he had never thought be-
fore that a bachelors life was
wretched one.
a few days after her walk on the
beach, Polly sat knitting in her sis
ter's best room, when that lady came
in from the store, where sc had.
gone for a roll Of butter.
"Sakes alive, Polly, you will never
believe it! Ebenezer Sticknpy is turn
ing everything inside out and upside
down at his house. They're painting
the house outside, and papering and
whitewashing inside. and he's cot Jim
Black there clearing out the yard.
didn't think much about all that, for
land knows the place needed it: but
Just as | left the store. what should
! stop in front of the millers gate hut
TWO loads Of brand-new furniture.
Then, said l to myself that means
something. spoke to Sally Brown
about it, and we both say there's a
wedding ahead"
Mrs. Betsy Carver was so excited
over this piece of news that she aid
not notice how pale Polly had grown.
nor that her hand trembled SO that
she dropped half the stitches off her
knitting needle. So she ratified away.
Il reckon l know who he'll marry.
Ihat brazen-faced Murray girl. that
sets right in front of him every time
he goes to Vittoria to church. She's
had her cap set for him these two
years. Sally says, and at last she's
trapped him."
Polly's face was flushed to crimson
now She made no reply. but hent
over her work, nervously taking M
stitches she had dropped.
If she loved Ebenezer Sticknov ber
sister did not suspect It. lust tben
Katy Rice, Ebenezers little niece
came in.
Please, Miss Polly, Uncle Ebeu
sent me down after the seeds Won
said he could have"
Let me see" said Polly, muslneIv
"oh, yes He wanted us to save him
some cucumber seed"
ITS flower seed he wants. ever so
many kinds" lnterpOsed KATY.
Il never promised him any. nstI
know of. l didn't spose he cared for
such things" said Polly, n little spite
fully, as she thought Of Lucy Murray
In connection with Ebenezer's rower
garden Then she added meekly: