Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1904-01-16
Copyright l9oo.lsos by chas. F. pidgin.

CHAPTER xXXIv.
Rlenporboseet

IOllOW eacn OCner IN QUICK succession,
those of minor Importance are liable
to escape mention 1t was for this
reason, probably, that the second visit
of DR.. Tillotson was not spoken of at
the time of it's occurrence. He exam
ined Alice's eyes and declared that
progress towards recovery was being
made, slowly but surely. He left a
bottle of new medicine, and advised
Alice, as an aid to recovery, to take
long walk, or ride, each pleasant
day. This advice he repeated to Un-
Gle Ike, who was waiting for him out
side the front door, and to Quincy, who
brought him from the station and took
him back.
On the day fixed upon, Quincy drove
over to Montrose, and accompanied by
Squire Rundlett, went to the county
town and presented Mrs. Putnam's will
for probate. In due time the will was
admitted, the executors bonds. were
filed and approved, and Quincy at the
age of %, found himself one of the
financial guardians of the young heir
ess, Mary Alice Pettengill, she being
his junior by less than two years.
About ten days after Quincy's inter
view with his Aunt Ella, in which she
had signified her intention of making
him an allowance, he received a letter
from Boston banking firm, informing
him that by direction of Mrs. Ella
Chessman, the sum of $4,000 had been
placed to his credit, and that similar
sum would be SO placed on the first
business day of January in each sue
ceeding year. A blank card was en-
closed for a copy of his signature, and
%I4 e%o fav hot r. 4 fte,
would be duly honored.
When Quincy and his aunt reached
Eastborough Centre, after the trio of
weddings, they found that they had a
full hour to wait before the arrival of
the next ingoing train.
This gave plenty of time for the re-
loading Of the horses and carriage on
the special car in which they had been
brought from Boston and which had
been side tracked
aunt to Boston and escort her home,
but she demurred. He insisted, but
his aunt replied, Don't go, please
don't, Quincy; they will take me for
your mother, and really am not quite
old enough for that"
This argument was unanswerable,
and Quincy babe her laughing good
by as the train sped on towards Bos-
ton, the special car in charge of the
coachman and footman bringing up the
rear.
Thus Aunt Elias visit to Mason's
Corner became an event of the past,
but the memory of it remained green
'f6f a long time in the minds of those
who had witnessed her arrival and de-
parture.
Elias Smith drove Quincy home to
the Pettengill house. 1t was to be
home no longer, for Hiram and Mandy
were to have the room that Quincy
had occupied SO long. His trunk and
other belongings he had packed up the
night before, and at Quincy's request,
Cobb's twins had taken them out to
Jacobs Parlor, where he found them.
He knew that Mr.. and Mrs. Hawkins
were to spend the afternoon with their
daughter and son-in-law.
Quincy also knew that Uncle Ike
and Alice were at Deacon Mason's,
where Ezekiel and Hubby were to re-
main for the coming week.
For the first time since he had been
at Mason's Corner, Quincy felt lone
some and deserted. He reflected on
his way to Mrs. Hawkins boarding
house that these weddings were all
very nice, to be sure, but they had de-
prived him of the society of many
good friends, who were now united by
stronger ties than those of simple, eve
ryday friendship. D.
He did not care to go to the grocery
store, for the felt that the Professor
was entitled to all the credit that he
was likely to get for his days perform
ance, and he did not wish to detract
from 1t. So he went directly to his
room, and for the first time felt out
of sorts with EastDorough and it's peo-
pie.
He was not hungry for food, so he
did not answer the call to supper, but
sat in the dark and thought. He real
lied that he was hungry, yes, desper-
ately hungry, for love-the love of one
woman, Alice Pettengill. Why should
he wait longer? Even if his father
and mother objected his Aunt Ella
was on his side, and her action had
made him independent. He had felt
himself so before, but now there was
no doubt Of it.
This determined young man then
made up his mind he would declare his
love at the first auspicious moment
Then he would go to his parents and
learn their verdict on his proposed ac-
ton. Thinking thus he went to bed,
and in his dreams, ushers, and brides
maids, and cut flowers, and potted
plants, and miles of silken ribbon, and
cream-colored horses, and carriages,
and clergymen, and organists, and big
pipe organs were revolving about him
and Alice, as the planets revolve about
the sun.
Once more Quincy's breakfast was
on the stove being kept warm, and
once more Mrs. Hawkins was waiting
impatiently for him to come down
Betsy Green and she were washing,
the breakfast disnes. How happy Eve
must have been in Eden, where there
was no china, no knives and forks, and
no pots and kettles, and what an end
less burden of commonplace drudgery
she entailed upon her fair sisters when
she fell from her high estate. Mans
labor is uniformly productive, but wo-
mans alas! is still almost as uniform
ly simply preservative.
MIR. Sawyer" said Mrs. Hawkins to
Betsy Green, is no doubt a very nice
young man, but / shouldn't want him
for steady boarder, less he got up on
time and eat his meals reg'lar."