Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-12-17

had hot been put into the house when
ii was renovated for summer board
ers, and the farmer, standing over him
as lie sat ut his belated breakfast in
the kitchen. was replying with logic
which left his protagonist dumb.
"Firstly, It's contrary TO Scripture.
How the devil do you make that
out:" Kinross inquired, unaware OF
how such cpithets startled the unac-
customed ears of the farmers wife
and OF the girl. Eunice, who waited on
him.
How make that out!' Morning
star repeated. Because the Scriptures
is silent on the subject"
Which of course left kinross with
nothing to say. He lifted his glass OF
skinned milk and slipped with half
closed eyes.
Another reason" Morningstar laid
it OH. there was less sickness among
our ancestors of bygone times in the
past than there is now when bath
rooms is the common lot Of all"
kinyoSS did not contradict 1t.
Again, | oncet heerd Of man being
drownded III bathtub Of hot water
Kinross had no answer for an argu-
ment 50 incontrovertible.
And yet again, Gawd certainly In
tended fur the folks to wash IN cold
water or he'd Of made all the water
hot"
Kinross' silence apparently accepted
this dogmatic statement.
kin you deny it?" Morningstar tri-
umphed over him.
81 would not presume to-"
81 guess anyhow not. Well, then,
you know why | don't have no bath
room. If folks would read more in the
Book and hesitate more they'd see how
sinful some things is. Folks Is just q
little ignorant about some things.
They're not enough loosed of the
world. Pride has come into the church
that it's something shameful. There's
too much joining church to enjoy our.
selves instead Of to serve Gawd."
And. swelling with his easy success,
old Morningstar shambled out of the
room, leaving his defeated boarder to
the contemplation Of his Impossible
breakfast.
The kitchen in which he ate was also
the family living room. as all Penn
sylvania Dutch farmhouse kitchens
are. 1t was large, bright room, very
simply furnished, but spotlessly clean
and of a certain homely coziness.
The breakfast consisted Of cold corn
ed beef, greasy sausage, several kinds
Of very pale, lardy locking pies and
plate piled high with iced cake.
"Eunicew Mrs. Morningstar shrilly
called to the young girl. her adopted
daughter. who had disappeared into
the outer kitchen. Here's the Doc
eatn' dry bread and butter yet
Where's the spread?'
The relevancy OF this inquiry not be;
Ing apparent spread" in DR.. Kin
ross vocabulary being an outside Gov
| sr to Il bed, he glanced up as Eunic'
appeared in the doorway to listen Il
her answer, though. to tell the truth
| he was not so curious to learn wher'
| the spread" was as to hear the sOunt
| of the girls voice. In the ten days
that he had spent at the farm he hat
not once heard her utter word
| though lie saw her three times da.
| at the table. This strange silence, witt
some other inexplicable things abou
her, had begun to ''get on his nerves.
He had come out to this farm to b.
quiet and undisturbed, and here, rath
er to his chagrin, was mystery ris
ing on his horizon.
He waited, with his glass halfwa.
to his lips, to hear the girls reply.
She came across the kitchen carrying
dish of apple jelly In one hand ant
saucer of apple butter in the other
There was u grace in the moveinenr
of her young. slim figure that was con
spicuously lacking in Mrs. Morning
stars own daughter Of the same age
Her eyes were, as always. downcas'
as though to veil soul she did no
wish to discover to those about hel
Kinross had never yet succeeded Il
discovering the color Of her eyes
Somehow the girl always bore aDOu