At the Sign of the Jack O'Lantern

nvited

such as she. But if Harlan had only told her, instead of leaving her to find out in this miserable way! It had never entered her head that the clear-eyed, clean-minded boy whom she had m

ne might as well fancy a clean slate, freshly and elaborately dedicated to noble composi

d for various metropolitan delays and absences which she had joyously forgiven on the score of Harlan's "work." Bitterest of all was the thought that she

nhappy-very well, she would generously throw them together and make him painfully weary of her, for Love's certain destroyer is Satiety. Deep in Dorothy's consciousness was the abiding satisfaction that she had never once, as she put it to her

ting and proper that his relatives should make her welcome, even though Elaine's mother had been only a second cousin of Mrs. Judson's. Elaine had been deeply t

ds. As too often happens in a material world, she had been trained to do nothing but sing a little, play a little, and paint unspeakably. She planned, vaguely, to

laine's day until dinner-time. After dinner, for an hour, she exchanged commonplaces with the Carrs, then retired to her

tle at the idea of a snake travelling on a train unless it belonged to a circus, and wiped her eyes. Having mapped out h

ly quite herself, but altogether unprepared fo

heerily, as she entered the room. "

lied Dorothy, startled, b

han Harlan, smooth-shaven, had nice brown eyes, and a mop of curly brown hair which evident

house are you a rel

urned Dorothy. "I

's become of Sally? Unc

hy, with a fruitless effort to appear matronly and digni

t last, after all this delay

situation to the utmost. "Uncle Ebeneezer

otion from his ruddy face. "Hully Gee!" he said, when he recove

to have this breezy individual take his departure.

hood. My other name is Chester, but few know it. I'm merely 'Dick' to everybody, yourself included, I trust," he added wit

e brought myself up. I've just taught a college all it can learn from me, and been put out. Prexy confided to me that I wasn't going to graduate, so I shook the classic dust from my weary feet and fled hither as to a harbour of r

portrait over the mantel half fearfully, but the

aren't you?" asked Di

y. "He scared me the first time we ca

t he got over it, and after he learned to swear readily, he was a pretty tough party to buck up against. It took nerve to stay h

rr-Dorot

ind, I'll call you 'Dorothy' till the train goes back. It will be some

. "If you've been in the habit of spending your Summers here, you needn't change on our acc

or sup

s though the clock had been turned back twenty yea

ou at any time, just say so and I'll skate out, with no hard feelings

h Harlan, come

work, thinking that a change of environment might possibly

n came to the door, "this is my

s, nor half as many dimples. Bewildered, and not altogether pleased, he awkw

llantly, "upon possessing the fairest ornament of her sex. Guess this letter is for you, isn't it? I found it in

ng the injured hand with the oth

leasantly. "I never trace myself

wickedly, "so you mustn't let us keep you away from yo

sently Mr. Carr retreated into the library, and locked the door, but he did not work. The book was at a deadlock, half

irest ornament of her sex.' Never, never heard of him before. Some old flame of Dorothy'

in of circumstances which put him in a false light! For the first time he full

a procession of my wife's old lovers marking time here all Summer!" In his fevered fancy, he already saw the Jack-o'-Lantern sur

to order 'em out. And then, probably, Dorothy will tell Elaine to take her dol

ny sympathy for each other, nor for their husbands, either. I'd give twenty dollars this minute not to have stroked Elaine's hand, and fi

written some little time ago, inquiring minutely, of an acquaintance who was suppose

l the call, go in and win. You can make all the way from eight dollars a year, which was what I made when I first struck out, up to five thousand, which was what I averaged last year. I've always e

blisher, who enjoys the proud distinction of being an honest one, and if he likes your stuff, he'll take it, and if he doesn't, he'll turn you down so pleasantly that you'll feel as though he'd made you a

s as

.

effect was depressing, and at the end of an hour, Harlan had wri

h to that lady's pleasure, though she characteristically endeavoured to c

our biscuits night and day since I ate the l

mpt to be properly stern, "and as I've told you more than once, my name ain't 'Sa

n use. If my heart breaks the bonds of conventional restraint, and I call you by the name under which you always appear to me in my longing dreams, why shou

of Satan," cried Mrs. Smithe

sed out." He put his head back into the kitchen, however, to file a parting petition for biscuits, whi

ee, created a panic in the chicken yard by lifting Abdul Hamid ignominiously by

said, "don't blame me. He looks so much like

," ventured Dorothy. "Mrs. Smithers says that u

e who

died, and she buried him, a

or Cla

u goose," lau

elevantly enough, "I believe I'd kiss you. You look so pretty w

ossible to take offence at such a mischievous youth as Dick was at tha

Your husband is only related to you by marriage. Don't be such a prude. Come to the waitin

Dick made a wry face. "I don't hanker to do it," he said, "but if you want me to, I will.

to Uncle Ebeneezer?" que

be more related than we were. I was the only child of Aunt Rebecca's sister's husband's sister's h

urse I

ood fellow. And say, did you say the

a w

r, as the ancient dagoes had it. They've been

y or twenty-one." Then, endeavouring to be just to

imed Dick ecstatically.

t luncheon. There

od behaviour. Elaine's delicate, fragile beauty appealed strongly to the susceptible Dick, a

his guests impartially, and, upon the whole, the luncheon wen

which no one seemed inclined to relieve. At length Dorothy, mindful of

to live at the Jack-o'-Lantern, and lifted the lid. Immediately, however, she went off into hy

en by the hampering conventionalities. So he lounged over to th

em of loops of linen thread. Pinned to the top was a faded slip of paper on which Uncle Ebeneezer had written, lo

a vein of sentiment in Uncle Ebeneezer's hard nature had impelled him to keep the prosaic melodeo

wondered at, considering Miss St. Clair's weak, nervous condition. Harlan c

Dick to himself, vaguely troubled