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The dining-roo

with artistically perforated and slashed pink paper that hung everywhere,

at this season of the year, to lend festal effect as well as to palliate

the scourge of flies There were six or seven large tables, all vacant

except that at which Coluuests,

while his wife and children ate in the kitchen by their own preference

Transient trade was light in Plattville; nobody ever caot out of town the instant it was

possible, and who said awful things if, by the exigencies of the railway

tiht

Behind the host's chair stood a red-haired girl in a blue cotton gown; and

in her hand she languidly waved a long instrureen and white and yellow tissue paper fastened to a wooden wand;

with this she amiably amused the flies except at such ti, when she was apt to rest it on the

shoulder of one of the guests This happened each time the editor of the

"Herald" joined in the talk As the men seated the, Cynthy" Harkless always called her

Charmion; no one knehy When he came in she moved around the table to a

chair directly opposite hihout the meal,

with her eyes fixed on his face Mr Martin noted this ularly twice a day--with a stealthy sht skin flushed while her lip curled shrewishly at the old gentleht, Cynthy," he whispered to her, and chuckled aloud at her

angry toss of the head

"Schofields' see," he

reratefullest

cuss I ever coht

to be of hi;