Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-10-02
CHAPTER x.

CHATTER K.
 UNICE was about to pass Ollie's
 steady comp'ny with nod. but
 the young man stopped directly
 A in her way, and, holding out his hand with a shy awkwardness, flushed deeply as he looked at her.
 "Ochp' exclaimed Ollie, turning in her chair to welcome him, but not rising, 'but I'm glad you're here oncet! Pm so tired listenin' to the big words they're spittin' at each other here yes, even Eunice yet! I didn't know Eunice could speak such high Ian guage! She ain't never done it around us still"
 ''Nor around me, neither-I'd like. too, to hear her oncet.' replied the young man, his bashful tones only just audible and his face and neck self consciously red as he retained Eunice's hand so that she could not pass on and looked at her with an ar dor in his gaze that appeared quite irrelevant in view of the general un- derstanding that he came to "set up' with Ollie. Wont you stay settin' on the porch, Eunice?" he neryously begged the girl
 Eunice looked at him in surprise. To ask her to commit breach like that, to violatesthe social code that no third person must be present at a Sunday night setting up"-was he wandering in his wits? She tried to withdraw her hand, but could not-he held it tight-with Ollie, Dr. Kinross and the young ladies all looking on!
 .'This is the first time have saw you-since I begun to come Sundays" he said with evidently gigantic effort to conquer his embarrassment at the acknowledgement he was making in Ollie's very presence. ''Where was you at Sunday nights still when I come over?"
 Where was she att" spoke up Ollie boisterously. Out on the back porch settin'-witk our Abe That's where she'd be tonight, too, guess, if nom didn't jaw her so fur itp'
 "With Abev' repeated Ollie's osten- sible friend" in consternation that forgot the presence of others. "Her and Abel"
 Eunice dragged her fingers from his clasp and turned away before he could recover from the evident shock of Ollie's communication.
 The three boarders, realizing that they were de trop, also rose and went away. Ollie and the young man were left in solitary possession of the field for the evenings campaign. e..-..-..
 How many dupes are there in this friendshaft, I wonderr Kinross said to himself as he strolled out into the garden, his pulse bounding with a strange excitement. "The young ladies think I'm country lout. Ollie thinks the young man, Hen Mucklehenny, comes to set up with her when evil dently he is fatally smitten with Eu- nlce Get him lay low if Abe discovers it). As for me, have I, too, been dupe about that girl, Eunice? Is she a dis. guised college professor or whatever as her conversation this evening might suggest? Her diction is certainly not the everyday tongue of the Morning stars. How the dickens does it hap pen?" ."-,
 But too many circumstances-the Morningstars' selfish treatment of her, Abe's infatuation, her slavish work these and other things rebutted the theory that she was anything else than what she pretended to be. How, then, account for that astonishing little rev elation of herself this evening? He turned it over in every conceivable way, but could arrive at no conclusion concerning her. He decided that he must certainly make an opportunity for talking with her and investigate her thoroughly.
 Meantime Hen Mucklehenny's hesi- tation in taking advantage of the clear . field left to him and his slowness to seat himself in the rocker at Ollie's side were attributed by her to his we'll known bashfulness. It was thus that she had interpreted also his lack of ardor on every Sunday night that he had been with her. No amount of en- couragement on her part had availed to warm him up to the sort of love making considered in that locality an essential preface to matrimony.
 "Hen," began Ollie, when at last they were rocking monotonously side by side in their big wooden rockers on the porch, you ain't gat no need to trouble to make so polite to our Eu- nice, seein' she ain't my r:S;t sister that way. It makes me no difference if she likes you or if she don't her bein' only 'dopted and not our own flesh and blood. It wouldn't unplease me if you didn't make over her any"
 But" began Hen uneasily. T didn't make polite to her just fur to please you, 0llie-not just to say fur that ex- actiy; F'- He stopped helplessly, look ing distraught.
 Ollie was slow to grasp a new idea. All she saw just now was that her bashful lover was more embarrassed than usual. That's all right Hen," she treasured hin-quite irrelevant ly the uncomfortable fellow thought.
 They rocked in silence for a while. Pennsylvania Dutch courtships are won't to be punctuated by long periods of sepulchral silence. Hens csunte- nance, instead of expressing the ec- stacies of lover in the fair presence of his lady, looked as If he were sit ting in a dentists chair under the or deal of an exposed nerve. "Hen." said ollie presently in a tone