Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-01-14
CHATTER XII.

II to departing with his DOCKS int
n. the woods, the small interest
4 u he felt in the philosophy Of the
schools as compared with the philoso
ply Of the actual life Of the Morning.
star farmhouse, led him to risk eXcit.
ing the suspicion of his fellow boarders
by Changing round" the kitchen porch
during the greater part Of the fore.
noon.
On coming downstairs to his break
fast he had found Eunlce. as usual.
at her kitchen drudgery, moving about,
as she always did, as though only half
conscious of her surroundings. If as
the result of last nights developments
there had been scene. the girl bore
no sign Of it.
He put Il few leading questions to
Mrs. Morningstar as she gave him his
breakfast. This matter of his late
and solitary breakfast had been Il
troublesome one to adjust In his as
sumption OF the character Of farm
hand, since not even his desire to re-
tain his incognito would have induced
him to get mp to the family's o'clock
meal. He had finally. after consider
able difficulty. negotiated with his
landlady for breakfast in his room. ex-
cept on such mornings as the coas'
was left clear by the early departure
Of the other boarders to the woods or
wherever" as Mrs. Morningstar re
ferred to their wanderings.
"Well," he remarked rs he broke an
egg. while Mrs. Morningstar filled a
glass with milk for him, where was
Eunice last night, anyway. when You
were all looking for her.
"Och. her. snapped Mrs. Morning
star disparagingly. well. us we con
ceited She'd went off buggy ridin' with
Abe. The way she tries behind my
back to make up with our Abe! ]
tell her she hasn't shame. and after
all done fur her yet a'ready.'
"But she had not gone with Abe"
"No: here when Ollie she went up
to bed | guess near an hour after we
was astin' you had you saw Eunice
anywheres, why, there was Eunice In
bed asleep. Ollie she walked her ana
ast her where was she awhile back
when we was all lookin' fur her, and
Eunice she got stubborn headed and
wouldn't answer to Ollie. She's the
worst stubborn head, that girl is. !
Just believe she was out somewheres
maxim up to our Abe. But Abe he
got rid of her and went to see some
other one, guess, fur he didn't come
home till late"
Kinross wondered whether the fond
mother Of Abe really believed that he
was the unwilling victim OF Eunice's
Machiavellian plots to attract him or
whether her maternal jealousy merely
invented this reluctance on his part.
81 don't know what's come over Eu-
nice here lately" Mrs. Morningstar
complained as she sawed thick slices
from huge loaf of homemade bread.
"Til couple days back she always
minded to ne and pop and done what
she was tO.e. Here this mornin' ]
iawed her fur not tal;in' that frock
Miss Ellery wanted to give her. |
saved to her what right had she to as
good as throw away frock when us
we had to buy her all her cloes, but
she wouldn't make me no answer.
Then pop he sayed she is to tell Miss
Ellery she's changed her mind and
will take the frock off Of her If she
wants her to, and Eunice she didn't
make pop no answer neither. Then
pop he saved to her did she under
stand she was to do 1t as soon as the
Young ladies come down this mornin', ,
and, mind you, Eunice she tole pop she
wouldn't! To pop she sayed that!
couldn't hardly believe heerd 1t.
Why, our Ollie she wouldn't have the
dare to tell pop she wouldn't"'
"And Eunice never did so before"
"Well, | better guess she didn't!'
"But what do you suppose has made
the worm suddenly turn-that is to
say, how do you account for her as
serting herself like that all at Onee?"
"Well," said Mrs. Morningstar, Ito
be sure, no person ever offered her no
| frock before"
"There's something in that" Kinross
admitted.
"And then l wouldn't put 1t past her
that she's spunkin' up because she
thinks she's gettin" our Abe"
"He is q prize" granted Kinross.
with apocryphal sarcasm.
81 guess, too," Mrs. Morningstar
vigorously acquiesced in this view OF
| her son.
"What did Mr.. Morningstar do about