Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1903-11-28
CHAPTER XIV.
a Quiet Evenino.

After the somewhat exciting ter
mination of his interview with Miss
Mason, Quincy left the house quickly
and walked down to Ezekiel Petten-
gill's. Uncle Ike was there and he
told Mandy to show Mr.. Sawyer to
his room which proved to be the big
front one upstairs.
When he was alone Quincy sank in
to the capaciouS rocking chair and
fell to thinking. His mind went back
to his parting with Miss Mason. She
had said that it wasn't the horse, so
it must have been what he said to
her. Was she angry because he had
decided to go in order to stop village
gossip, or had she really cared for
him.? Well, it was over now. He
would never know what her real feel
ings We're, and after all it was best
for him not to know. He would drop
the whole matter where it was. Then
he began to think about his present
position. Here he was located in the
house of the man who would naturally
be considered the last one to desire
his company.
Uncle Ike had told him that he would
make it all right. If he failed in this
and Ezekiel objected to his remaining
he would move again. He was deter
mined not to leave Mason's Corner tn
he got ready. and he felt sure he would
not be ready to go until he had
squared accounts with Strout.
Presently he heard the sound of
wheels. The Pettengill house faced
the south and Eastborough Centre lay
west OF Mason's Corner, SO he could
not see the team when it arrived, as
it drove up to the back door, but he
knew that Ezekiel had arrived with
his sister. Uncle Ike and Cobb's twins
went down stairs quickly; there was
jumble of voices, and then the par
ty entered the house. A short time
after he heard persons moving in the
room adjoining his, and guessed that
Ezekiel's sister was to occupy it.
Then he fell to imagining the con-
versation that was doubtless going on
between Uncle Ike and his nephew.
Quincy was not naturally nervous, but
he did not like suspense; almost un-
consciously he arose and walked back
and forth across the room several
times. Then it occurred to him that
probably the uncle and nephew We're
having their conversation in the par
lor, which was right under him, and
he curbed his impatience and threw
himself into the armchair which stood
near the open fireplace.
AS he did so there came a sharp
rap at the doors. In response to the
quick uttered, Come in," the door
opened and Uncle Ike entered. He
came forward, took a seat in the rock
ing chair near Quincy and passed him
two letters.
Quincy looked up inuuiringly. He
had had his mail sent to Eastborough
Centre, where he had hired a box.
At the Mason's Corner postoffice the
letters were stuck upon rack, where
everyone could see them, and Quincy
did not care to have the loungers at
Hills grocery inspecting his corre-
spondence.
Uncle Ike saw the look and under
stood it. Then he said ezekiel
brought these over from Eastborough
Centre. He didn't want to, but the
marked, Tn haste and he had been
over to the hotel and found that you
had gone to Mason's Corner. and
probably wouldn't be back today, and
so he thought Ezekiel better bring it
'Tt was very kind of Mr.. Pettengill,'' =
said Quincy "and 1 wish you would
thank him for me-
In the meantime he had glanced at
his letters. One bore, printed in the
corner, the names, Sawyer, Crownin-
shield & Lawrence, Counsellors at
Law, Court Street, Boston. Mass. That
was from his father. The other was
the postmark, Mason's Corner, Mass.
He could not imagine from whom it
could be.
II have had talk with Ezekiel"
said Uncle Ike, "and the whole mat
ter is satisfactorily arranged; he is
fair minded young fellow and he
doesn't believe you have done any
thing with the intention of injuring
him. What did you pay UP to Deacon
Mason's2"
Five dollars d week" replied
Quincy.
fsWal, it will BIZ the same here" said
t5ncle Ike, you ean stay as long as
you IKE. ,,zsks vTouldn't charge you
to look out fer yaar sister and Mr.
Sawyer can afford to pay"
Quincy broke in, "And I wouldn't
stay unless did pay. ] am able
and willing to pay more il he will
take it"
sNat a cent uaars.', said Uncle Ike.