Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1903-11-26


Sawyer. Before retiring he sat and
thought over the experiences of the
past fortnight since his arrival in East
borough, but the most of his thoughts
were given to the remark made by
Mrs. Putnam about his leaving Deacon
Mason's. He had been uniformly po-
lite and to slight degree attentive to
Miss Mason. The Deacon's horse was
slow one, and so on several occasions
he had hired presentable rig and a
good stopper over to Eastborough
Centre, and had taken Miss Mason out
to ride. He reflected now, as he had
never done before, that of course the
whole town knew this, and the thought
came home to him strongly that by SO
doing he might have inflicted triple
injury upon Miss Mason, Mr.. Pettingill
and himself. He was not in love with
Miss Mason, nor Miss Putnam; they
were both pretty girls, and in the city
1T was the custom to be attentive to
pretty girls without regard to conse-
quences.
He had asked Miss. Mason to go rid
ing with him the next day, but he in
wardly resolved that it would be the
last time he would take her. and he
was in doubt whether to go back to the
| city at once or go to some other town
and board at hotel or look around
and find some other place in Eastbor-
ough. One consideration kept him
| from leaving Eastborough; he. knew
| that If he did so the singing-master
| would claim that he had driven him
out Of town, aud although he had a
hearty contempt for the man. he was
too high spirited to leave town and
give the people any reason to think
that Strout's antipathy to him had
anything to do with it.
| Finally bright idea struck him.
Why hadn't he thought of it before?
He would go and see Uncle Ike, state
the case frankly and ask him to ct
him live with him for mont He
could bunk in the kitchen, and he pre-
| ferred Uncle Ike's conversation to that
of any other of the male sex whom he
had met in Eastborough. With this
idea firmly fixed in his mind he retired
and slept peacefully.
While Quincy was debating with
himself and coming to the conclusion
previously mentioned, another conver-
sation, in which his name often occur
red, took place in Deacon Mason's
kitchen.
The old couple were seated by the
old-fashioned fireplace, in which a
wood fire was burning. The stove had
superseded the hanging crane and the
tin oven for cooking purposes,bu Dea
con Mason clung to the old-fashioned
fireplace for heat and light. The moon
was high and its rays streamed in
through the windows, the curtains OF
which had not been drawn.
For quite while they sat in silence
then Deacon Mason said, "There is
something l want to speak about
mother, and yet don't want to.
know there is noting to it and nothing
likely to come of it, but the fact is
mother, Huldy's bein' talked about
, down to the Corner cause Mr., Sawyer
; lis boardin' here. You know she goes
out ridin' with him, which amt M
, HARM and she has sort O broken witt
, Ezekiel, for which am sorry, fol
Ezekiel is one of the likely young mel
; of the town"
$50 do, father" said Mrs. Mason
"and if you don't meddle. things viii
come out all right Mr.. Sawyer don
care nothing for Huldy, and | don
: think she cares anything for him. HI
will be going back. to the city in lit
i7ue Wnlle anu lnen tHluSS VIII pe di
!. right again.
+ We'll" said the Deacon, 81 thinl
> Hubby better stop goin' out to rid
with him anyway; she is high spirited
3 and If tell her not to go she'll wan
r to know why"
4 But" broke in Mrs. Mason, eff yo-
tell him won't he want to know why?
e well. perhaps" said the Deacon
4 sbut will speak to him anyway"
The next morning after breakfas
i Deacon Mason sked Mr.. Sawyer t
S step into the ..arlor. and remarkin
o that when he had anything to say h
! always said it right eut,he asked OUR
cy if he was on good terms with MI
o 'Zekiel Pettengill.
II don't know" said Quincy.
g don't know of anything that | hav
g done at which he could take Offence
but he keeps away from me. and whe
l do meet him and speak to him, a 'yes
or mo- is all ] get in reply"
Haven't you any idea what make
him treat you SOP" asked the Deacon.
n Quincy flushed.
y 'Yes, Mr.. Mason, think I do know