Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-02-11

| and came to some astute con-
4 Z cusions.
"If that t..are Doc didn't have some
pin up his sleeve to down us with
he wouldn't have the dare to speak
up 10 us so positive" Mr.. Morn.
ingstar glOomily reasoned. "fo be
sure, wouldn't give in to him and
make over oil that there money to the
girl If didn't have afraid he'd squeeze
me fur more'n that yet-like what he
sayed he'd do"
"Abram Morningstar, you amt 60
Ing to up and throw $1,000 at that
GIRL" his wife exclaimed incredulous-
ly.
"Will you leave me know. then, how
I'm gettin' out of it, he demanded.
They were together in the kitchen
| just after Kinross' departure Oh his
| weeks absence. Mr.. Morningstar was
still too Ill from his cold to leave the
settee, and his wife was in the act Of
putting n mustard plaster on him when
he opened up the discussion Of what
lay so heavily on their hearts.
"He must have took shine to Eu-
nice" Mrs. Morningstar lamented. ito
be takin' up fur her like what he's do
in. don't know what's got into the
| men, such DUNN taste as they all
show. There's Ollie-she's twicet as
fat and has nicer cloes and near twicet
the schoolin' as what Eunice's got. The
girls just that tricky she makes eyes
at the men behind our backs. pop,
that's wotr'
"Tve been thinkin' It out how we
could spite him back" Mr.. Morning
star said, lowering his voice and indi-
eating with twirl Of his thumb the
departed boarder. "If we do have to
give Eunice them $1,000 we kin keep it
in the family and get ahead Of that
darned towner by marryin' her to Abe
right aways. Amt? You see, what
that city sharper's after is to git them
$1,000 fur hisself. 1t amt often girl
even a towner-has that n:uci to
bring to her mister. Abe cpllcat git
no girl round here witt lat mich. II
we do have to give her the money we
couldn't do better by Abe than to leave
him marry her"
"Well, mebbe." Mrs. Morningstar an
swered. considering the matter as she
buttoned her husbands shirt over the
plaster. "But it would rile me to have
to marry our Abe to girl we brapg
up on charity"
"That amt neither here nor there,
Mr.. Morningstar sneered irritably at
this sentiment. "What we want Is to
settle these here finances without no
more loss than we can't help
There's this to say Mrs. Morning
star added-''if she marries Abe meh5e
that underhanded Hen Mucklehenny
will be comm back to our Ollie when
he sees he can't have Eunice.'
"Yes. we'd he spitin' him too" Mr.
Mornlngstar fairly smacked his lips
with satisfaction. "The hand Of Prov
idence would be in 1t. and it would all
work out for his honor and glory. Yes,
i YOU tut l-oiu oSSS 81 iH'''s
thing head of hisself that way
"You're spitin' every one but the one
I'd like to Spite" snapped Mrs. Nom
ingstar. land that's that deceitful ;'irI.
with her snca.iin' ways and her playia'
her tricks behind body's back after
all we done fur her a'ready.'
Seems we haven't darst to talk
about that no more-what we done fur
her. Seems she done everything fur
| u.s." Mr.. Morningstar sarcasticasly add
ed. "Now. look a-here, nom; we'll fix
| II up between Abe and Eunice before
the Doc gifts back. See? I'll go ahead
and tell Abe he has the dare to pass
his promise to Eunice, and you kin
tell her she dare have Abe now with
out workin' no more tricks to git him.
1t was bitter thing to Mrs. Morn
ingstar. this task allotted to her, but
1t was to become more bitter still be-
fore she was through with it.
1t appeared for moment that 1t was
going to be made easy. Abe, entirely
unsuspicious Of what was brewing.
came to his mother that very evening
after his days work was over with a
passionate protest against her opposi-
ton to his marrying Eunice and plea
that she "leave" him have the girl.
"To be sure, Eunice she knows
you're agln it, SO she purtends she
don't want me- You go tell her you're
In fur tour gettin' promised together
and certainly then she'll be only too
glad to git me-"
This was Abe's point Of view.
"Glad to git you! Well. guess
mebbew Mrs. Morningstar retorted.
"It's wonder you wouldn't look high
er. Abe Morningstar.'
81 have wonderful tired, nom. Of
hearln' of this 'lookin higher. I got
| my age-I'.il man-and it's my own
affairs If ! look high or low for my
wife. Eunice she suits me all right.
Even II she won't have no aussteuer
| and amt got nothin' comm to her.
she's anyhow not one to spend Mt the
| cloes or TO run. and she's so handy af
| he woik I'd-"cyrr have To hire fur
aer. SO If | ..l 'ioO.in low. amt
| ioin 30 bad. takin' it all in all. If you
and pop would only stop kickin' I'd
soon git her to pass her promise. And
l tell you right here. nom. I'm goin'
to marry her. anyhow-whether yous
like it or whether yous don't. So yors
might as well stop your kickin.' To
be sure 1t would make me less work
persuadin' Eunice If yous would stop
sickin'. She's awful stubborn headed
about it."
Mrs. Morningstar shifted contemptu-
ously.
"Och, but men Is DUNN things! Her
stubborn headed about takin' you
when she's been maxim eyes at you and
trying to git you ever since you was
in long pants already and she was in
long frocks"
81 amt took notice she was tryin' to
git me-" Abe answered sullenly. II
can't never git her to be even sociable
with me. And before she'd go buggy
rldin' or to circus with me! Cert'nly
that was because she had afraid of
yous."
"WeH, Abe. SEEM this here's the way
you feel and you bein' my own son
that way. I'll put to aside my regrets
and leave her have you. I'll tell her
tomorrow"
Abe was astonished at his easy sue
cess with his mother. He had antici.
pated a complete routing.