Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-12-05
CHAPTER TX.

| IN the front room, winch was never
opened except on the Sabbath. Ollie
was awaiting the arrival of her "fol,
| lower" She was looking very com.
placent us she rocked herself In the
big, stuffed rocking chair. She had
been slower than most OF the girls In
the neighborhood in attracting Il
| sutton, and now that young man OF
means who owned his own farm clear
had begun to wait upon her with sig
nifcant regularity every Sunday night
she was feeling encouraged.
Eunice was seated near her at one of
| the windows, an open Bible on her
| lap.
She was not like Ollie, dressed in
her Sunday clothes. The truth was
Eunice did not have any Sunday
kitchen gown OF dark blue which she
wore with n bit of cheap lace around
her neck, threw out the fairness OF
/ her face and hair and did for her what
i all Olle's flnery could not do for that
young womans fat, round visage.
A few feet away, in the open door
way leading out to the porch, DR.. Kin
ross sat smoking pipe and reading Il
Sunday paper Unlike Mr.. Morning
star and Abe, he did not celebrate the
day of rest by sitting about in toilet
/ consisting Of Sunday pants, white
/ shirt without collar and no vest or
coat. He wore his overalls as usual.
His reading Of his newspaper was
varied with speculatlons as to why
Eunice SO industrially read the Bible.
Was she devout? He had always be-
lieyed that he had a constitutional dis
like Of devout people-unless they
were Roman Catholics, in which case
they were rather picturesque. But
evangelical devoutness, even In the
llliterate, from whom one expected no
better, was generally nauseating. Or
was 1t the girls mental hunger which
led her to read the only book per-
mitted on the Sabbath to any one over
whom Mr.. Morningstar had any au-
thority?
Ollie Morningstar was regarding
with pride the furnishings Of the best
front room. Her parlor boosted OF
some elegancies that no other parlor
in the township possessed, for besides
the inevitable plaster of paris cat
and crazy jug (the latter consisting of
large sized bottle covered with putty
and succeed with various objects
such as buttons, beans. pieces OF glass.
and so forth, and the whole gilded
over to produce wonderful effect
there was the large, elegant colored
picture-Swift & Co.'S advertisement
Of lard-portraying two great, fat,
oval hogs leaning drowsily against
fence, with lurid sunset in the back
ground. Ollie thought it lovely,
though of course not so beautiful as
Rock Of Ages framed in red plush
and gilt, representing young lady
in nightgown hanging to a cross.
the angry pillows dashing against the
rocks on which she kneels and her
long and remarkably abundant hair
flowing in rirples far down her back.
These things We're among the compen-
sations of Ollie's sordid lot.
Presently her complacent expectation
and the reading of Kinross and Eunice
were interrupted by Georgiana and
Daisy, who strolled into the parlcr
and seated themselves, Daisy on the
front doorstep near Peter and Geor-
giana on the window sill beside Eu-
nice Georgiana carried over her arm
the skirt and waist Of a pretty White
gown. She and Daisy, having held
counsel and reasoned that the girl
Eunice must feel her shabbiness III
contrast with Ollie's gorgeousness, had
decided to offer her few Of their
own garments, beginning with this
white dress Of Georgiana's.
ut may serve to develop the girls
latent aesthetic sense to give her some
pretty Clothes" Georgiana had sug-
gested. Tasteful clothing is often
really educative."
eyes, Daisy had gravely agreed.
"and can imagine that Eunice might
look awfully fetching If she sported
up. But" she added rather fretfully,
II suppose she feels there isn't any in
ducement to sport up out herewith
not a man about the place that isn't
as woozy-eXcuse me, Georgiana-but
that Eunice is too nice looking to care
for Abe. Have you noticed how stuck
on her he is? She'd be an awful goose
to throw herself away-as nice looking
as she is-on fellow as tight across
the chest as he is-as any one can see
he is! Ugh" Daisy shook her shout
ders with a shudder. eff | had to
marry man with nature like that
close and mean, you know-Td get up
some night and gently lay wet towel
over his nose and mouth. Then, you
know, he'd be dead next morning. To
be sure" she went on. there's Pete
she might sport up for him-but he's
such an Indifferent thing! Give him
his meals and that's all he wants. fie
doesn't look at girls. Not even at me-
after l stopped to condescend to jolly
him little!'
"You entirely miss my point, Daisy.
DEAR" Georgiana had returned grave
ly. "NIy object in offering Eunice a
pretty gown is to try to awaken in her
sense of the beautiful on much
higher plane than that you talk about"
Seated on the window sill beside the
object of her benevolent intentions,
Georgiana led up tactfully to the mat
ter of her gift.
"Eunice," she began earnestly, her
which NJ