The Washington herald., 1907-03-28

Burt Seymour son OF + dIi4ict tC9 tiiuAis
had given a ''sugaring OF" party in the
sapbush. and his invited guests numbered
dozen of the young men and girls Of
the neighborhood. Such parties are al
ways given with the last run of maple
sap, and are simple affairs. The guests
ala gather at the sugar bush. where the
sweet sap has already been boiled down
10 a thick syrup. and seat themselves on
a log while the syrup is boiled little
more, and then served around on clean
maple chips. There is snow yet left in
the woods. and q dab" OF syrup dropped
on the snow produces maple wax. There
Is a general sickness, q general state Of
hilarity. and the girls 60 home with wet
feet and the young men with wax on
their chins.
In one sense this party referred 70 was
a great success. In another Il was
calamity. A sewing machine agent had
been stopping at Farmer Haliday's for
the last TWO weeks while he beat up the
country. He happened to be young
man and a taking fellow but there. was
no earthly reason for Burt Seymour TO be
Jealous of him. Euniee Halliday and
Burt had been engaged for three OF four
months, and while she was naturally fat
tered at the compliments paid to 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 in
cined to be jealous, and she was there
fore more circumspect, but Burt's jeal-
ousy still ranked. He took good care
that the stranger shouldn't be invited 10
the sugar party, to which Eunice 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 surprised
when Mr.. French showed up as cool as
a snowbank and took the biggest chip
in the collection.
As old Aunt Martha used Ia say, all
the girls that amount to anything have a
slice OF deviltry in their nature Be they
ever SO sweet and nice there are times
when they like 10 hector. When Eunice
saw. with ali the others, that the coming
OF the agent annoyed her lover, and
that Mr.. French was Inclined te put him
self out in another and more agreeable
way to make things a success, she came
as near flirting with him as she could
and miss it. The harder Burt scowled
and the more he showed his vexation, the
more reckless she became. She didn't In
tend to go too far, but just FAR enough 70
punish him. He would be sullen and
sullIy going home but she would make
up with him before they reached the
gate. That is, she thought IL would be
that way. but she was mistaken. Burt
referred TO the agent as a ''snide" a
squirt" and several other things, and
although she only defended mildly it was
sufficient to keep his temper 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 a 'masheT" were val
ued by her more than his enduring love,
and when the gate was reached she an
nounced that she wouldn't submit to be
brow beaten, and he fiourished his arm in
reply. and exclaimed:
Farewell, false girl I have loved you
as no man has ever loved before, but
you have let a fool part us. I may be
sunstruck this summer or die OF a broken
heart or commit suicide but twill not
matter TO YOU You will have simply
broken one more human heart-shattered
the faith Of another man in woman's in
tegrity.'
OF course, Eunice went into the house
prepared to brave it out. and, OF course,
it wasn't fifteen minutes before her mo-
ther suspected that something had trans
pired. and Whisked her into the family
bedroom to say:
Now. then, has that Hattie Jones been
saying mean things about you again?"
NO MAJ replied the daughter, as she
burst into sobs.
BY and by all the details were in the
| mothers possession. The girl did not
deny that she had airted bit but she
had not really meant anything serious
She was deeply in love with Burt Sey-
mour and as she thought Of his dying OF
sunstrOke and going to his grave believ-
ing she cared for any other man, no mat
ter how many sewing machines he could
sell In a week. 1t almost broke her heart
Well. nov, stop crying while I talk to
YOU" said the mother You should not
have flirted and Burt should not have
made a fool Of himself Hes gone away
10. chew the rag. as your cousin Ben puts
II. He thinHs bel get letter from you
| in a day or two asking his forgiveness
/ Then he'll take a week before coming
around and condescendiRg 10 make up
First and foremost. you are not to write
/ him a line Second and hindmOst. he's
| got to come 10 you. II there is any com
| ing about it. Your father was just an
other such idiot when ne was running af-
| ter me- and I made him crawl That's
why I have always had the whip hand
Of him.
But you know how set Burt is in his
ways" pleaded Eunice.
But you can be just as set in yours. p
But suppose he's found dead with my
] photo on his broken heart?"
Suppose our old dog should bark his
| tail on You are going to do just as
/ say, and that ends Il. I'm your mother
and I know something about men. and
/ II I don't help you to bring that smart
| young man back within two weeks, III
never darn another pair of socks fol
your father"
One event invariably follows the other
/ in the country. After the sugar party
about two weeks after-eomes the last
day of the district school. or the close
Of the term. Word goes out for ter
miles around, and the two hundred young
and old who attend manage somehow tC
] get into the sehoolhouse. Then two par.
/ sons choose sides and the whole CROWD
! lines up and the schoolnaster pronounces
! the words. The spelling school for thS
| Seymour district was announced for {
/ date two weeks subsequent 20 the sngai
party and the lovers quarrel. No Bur-
called at the Halliday farmhouse TO mak'
uD. The days passed and poor Eunic'