Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-01-14
3y HELEN r. MARTIN,

seemed as easy as rolling downhill.
He exulted buoyantly. like one who
had shaken off shackles.
Ollie rose and confronted him, her
dull complexion flushing a deep red
"You come here to set up with
Eunicew
"That's wotT said Hen courageous
ly.
"Why didn't you say so?
"You didn't give me no chanel. Yous
all was so sure l meant you. Ollie.
Yous, none of yous, could see that
feller might want Eunice even If she
don't have no aussteuer. her bein' such
a good locker that way"
"You Just made fool out of me,
Hen Mucklehenny" Ollie cried, al
most choking with her shame and in
dignation.
81 didn't go fur to do no sich thing,
Ollie"
"Well, you kin just go home and
stay home" the girl said vindictively,
"fur pop amt leavin' Eunice keep
comp'ny with no one-our Abe nor no
one else! Pop says what Cid he raise
her fur all these years just to leave
her run when she's old enough to be
Of some use and pay him back fur his
supportin' her?'
Wont you go tell her I'm waitin'
here to set up with herr" Hen pleaded.
Ollie glared ut him duly, her bosom
heaving. "Well, Hen Mucklehenny, to
show you l don't want you and Eu-
nice Is welcome to you l will go tell
her, but I'll tell pop and nom, too,
and you kin settle 1t with them yet
and | wish you luck with 'em"'
She turned her hack on him and left
him. He waited. fairly quivering with
eagerness for the appearance OF the
sweet, fair girl whose image filled his
dull soul. Were his many weeks of
dreaming about her about to be
crowned with the actual realization Of
the bliss of sitting up" with her?
Would she in few minutes be seat
ed In this chair ut his side, her hand
clasped In his? His ecstatic eXpecta-
tion quite drove from his mind the
spleen and disappointment of poor o.
lie.
She meantime had sought her par
ents In the kitchen and had wrathfril'
related to them that it was Eunice and
not she with whom Hen was wanting
to keep company.
The indignation Of Mrs. Morningstar
against both Hen and her foster daugh-
ter was quite equal to Ollie's. MIR.
Morningstar was hardly less cha
grined. for he had been more than
satisfied with the prospect Of so good
a match for his daughter. and he did
not wish to part with Eunice at all.
IL amt leavin' her keep comp'ny
with no one" he obstinately affirmed.
after the first shock of Ollie's news, as
he smoked his pipe by the kitchen win
dow, the Smaliness Of his soul shining
out of his little blinking eyes and re-
flected in the stubborn set of his thin
lips, mot even fur the sake of keepin'
her off Of our Abe. She amt to waste
her time with no beau. You just go
round front. Ollie, and tell Hen MUc'
klehenny amt leavin' Eunice keep
comp'ny with him nor no one else"
he commanded.
"You 60 tell him, pop. don't want
to 20 near him no more"
But Mrs. Morningstar interposed an
objection It'll give us an awful bad
name-our putin it out that she hasn't
dare to take her chances, too. like 9th
er ones. Better leave Hen see her TO
night. Then till next Sabbath already
we kin tell her she has to tell him she
don't feel fur settin' up with him."
"Tll tell her she's to tell him that right
aways this evening and not wait till
next Sabbath" responded Mr.. Morn
ingstar, rising to 90 to tie girl. You
don't know how fur him and her might
git along in one evenin'. amt takin'
no risks like that She's to tell him
right aways she don't take to him"
"rhen he can't say we KEEP her
n. ..
provingly. Don't cry. Ollie" She tried
to comfort the girl. who was sniveling
audibly. There's others will be glad
to take Hens place"
But Ollie knew better. and her dis
appointment was keen.
"Where is Eunce at" Mr.. Morning
star asked. coming back from the kitch-
en- porch. where he had gone to look
for her.
A search ensued. in which the girl
could not be found either in her own
bedroom or In the front room with the
young lady boarders nor yet In the
garden with 1.-The doc" who was stroll
ing about In the twilight smoking.
Where could she possibly be? The
suspicious circumstance that Abe also
was not about pointed to the possibli-
fly, almost the certainty. that they had
gone off somewhere together.
"Abe's horse and buggy amt In the
barn." Ollie reported to her parents as
they all came together again In the
kitchen after their investigation OF the
place. 81 locked open the barn door
and looked oncet. and 1t amt there!
She's took and went out buggy ridin'
with him. bet!
"She wouldn't do 1t to go off with
him unbeknownst. 1t amt like her
ways" Mr.. Morningstar questioned
this clrcumstantial evidence.
81 wouldn't of thought Abe would OF
took and done 1t unbeknownst" Mrs.
Morningstar lamented. "But she won't
have the dare to do 1t ag'in" she de.
clared threateningly.
"I'll go round front and fix Hen
Mucklehenny all rightw Mr.. Morning
star suddenly said. with ghoulish sat
istacton, turning to the door. III
lust tell him Eunice and Abe's went
out buggy ridln' together. Thatll dis
hearten him from comm round here
after her any more"
AS he left the room Oilie's eyes fol-
lowed him, their customary Sullen dull
ness dissipated for the ino ent by a
reflection of her fathers spitciulness.
CHAPTER VI.
INROSS. sauntering In front OF
IL the porch. overheard the farmer
~ fixing" poor Hen.
L \ There amt 10 use your set
| fin here wuitin'. Shes went of buggy