Oxford Democrat., 1907-06-25
At the r.
n 90 By
Spelling s::ss's, :::ss.s:
School. f.
Copyright, 1907. by Mary McKeon.

| tlOuI, udu given q suSutihS oh P"''s
In the sap bush. and his invited guests
numbered dozen OF the young men
lnnd girls Of the neighborhood. Such
lparties are always given with the last
run Of maple sap and are simple af'
fairs. The guests all gather at the
tsugar bush. where the sweet sap has
lalready been boiled down 10 thick
sirEp. and seat themselves on a log
while the sirup Is boiled II little more
and then served around Oh clean maple
chips. There is snow yet left in the
woods. and Il dab VI slrup dropped
IN the SHOW produces map,r wax.
There Is Il general sickness. u general
sta:e Of hiiarity. and the g!r.s g home
with wet feet and the young men with
wax on their chins.
In one sense this party referred to
was n great success. In another 1t was
/ calamity. \ sewing machine agent
lad been stopping at Farmer Haliday's
| for the last two weeks while he beat
up the country. He happened to be Il
Young man and Il taking fellow. but
there was no earthly reason for Burt
Seymour to be jealous OF him. Eunice
Halliday and Burt had been enga ged
for three or four months. and while
she WAS naturally battered at the COM
pliments paid 10 her by the agent
whose name WAS French, they didn't
turn her head by any means. She saw
from the first that Burt was inclined to
be Jealous. and she was therefore more
clrcumspect. but Burt's jealousy still
rankled. He took good care that the
stranger shouldn't be invited to the
sugar party. TO which EuIice was duly
escorted by the host, but cheek Is a
part OF the stock In trade Of agents OF
all sorts, and no one was greatly sur
prised when Mr.. French showed up as
cool as Il SNOW hank and took the big
gcst chip In the collection.
As old Aunt Martha used to say, all
girls that amount to anything have
spice Of deyltry in their nature. Be
hcy ever so sweet and nice, there are
times when they like to hector. When
Eunice saw, with all the Others, that
the coming Of the agent annoyed her
lover and that Mr.. French was in
cliapd to put himself out In another
and more agreeable way to make
things a success, she came rs near
hrting with him US she could and miss
It. The harder Burt scowled and the
more lie showed his vexation the more
reckless she became. She didn't In.
tend to 20 too far, but just far enough
to punish him. He would be sullen
and sulky going home. but she would
make up with him before they reached
the gate-that is, she thought 1t would
be that way. but she was mistaken.
Burt referred to the agent as ''snide,'
squirt" and several other things,
and, although she only defended mild
Il ly, 1t was sufficient to keep bis tenn
per hot. He announced that he had
been disappointed In her; that there
was no such thing as loyalty known to
her sex; that a few compliments from
"masher'' were valued by her more
than his enduring love, and when the
cute was reached she announced that
she wouldn't submit to be browbeaten,
and he fiourished his arm In reply and
exclaimed:
Farewell. false girl. have loved
you rs no man ever loved before, but
you have let Il fool part Us. ! may be
sunstruck this summer or die OF
broken hear. or commit suicide. but
twill not matter 10 you. You will have
simply broken one more human heart
shattered the faith OF another man IN
wOman's Integrity
or course Euuice went into the house
prepared to brave 1t out, and OF course
| II wasn't fifteen minutes before her
mother suspected that something had
transpired and whisked her into the
family bedroom to say:
Now, then, has that Hattie Jones
been saying mean things about you
again"
NO, ma! replied the daughter as
she burst into sobs.
BY and by all the details were In the
mothers possession. The girl did not
lcny that she had frted bit, but
she had not really meant anything seri-
GUS. She was deeply In love with
Burt Seymour, and as she thought OF
his dying of sunstroke and going TO
bis grave believing she cared for any
other man, no matter how many sew.
Inv machines he could sell In week,
| il almost broke her heart.
"Well. now. stop crying while l talk
10 you," said the mother. you should
not have fiirted, and Burt should not
have made fool of himself. He's
gone away to chew the rag. as your
cousin Ben puts 1t. He thinks he'll get
1 letter from you in day or two ask.
Ing his forgiveness. Then he'll take
week before coming around and con-
descending to make up. First and
| foremost, you are not to write him
dne. Second and hindmost, he's got to
.ome to you II theoe Is any coming
| about It. Your father was just another
such idiot when he was running after
me. and | made him crawl. That's
why have always had the whip hand
Of him."
but you know how set Burt Is In
Ais ways" pleaded Eunice.
But you can be just as set In
yours
"But suppose he's found dead with
my photo on his broken heart
Suppose our old dog should bark
his tail of. You are going to do just
rs say. and that ends 1t. I'm your
mother, and | know something about
.uen. and II don't help you to bring
hat smart young man back within two
weeks III never. darn another pair ol
socks for your father"
Ono event invariably follows the 9th
rr In the country. After the sugar
party, about two weeks after. come:
the last day OF the district school, ol
the close of the term. Word goes oui
for ten miles around. and the 200 young
end old who attend manage somehow
10 get Into the schoOlhouse. Then two
persons choose sides, and the whole