Otherwise Phyllis   By: Meredith Nicholson (1866-1947)

OTHERWISE PHYLLIS. With frontispiece in color.

THE PROVINCIAL AMERICAN AND OTHER PAPERS.

A HOOSIER CHRONICLE. With illustrations.

THE SIEGE OF THE SEVEN SUITORS. With illustrations.

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY BOSTON AND NEW YORK

OTHERWISE PHYLLIS

[Illustration: PHYLLIS]

OTHERWISE PHYLLIS

BY

MEREDITH NICHOLSON

[Illustration]

BOSTON AND NEW YORK HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge 1913

COPYRIGHT, 1913, BY MEREDITH NICHOLSON

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Published September 1913

TO

ALBERT B. ANDERSON

A CITIZEN OF THE HOOSIER COMMONWEALTH WHOSE ATTAINMENTS AS LAWYER AND JUDGE HAVE ADDED TO THE FAME OF MONTGOMERY THIS BOOK IS INSCRIBED WITH SINCERE REGARD AND ADMIRATION

CONTENTS

I. THE KIRKWOODS BREAK CAMP 1

II. THE MONTGOMERYS OF MONTGOMERY 14

III. 98 BUCKEYE LANE 34

IV. A TRANSACTION IN APPLES 51

V. THE OTHERWISENESS OF PHYLLIS 65

VI. THE SMOKING OUT OF AMZI 78

VII. GHOSTS SEE THE LIGHT AGAIN 91

VIII. LISTENING HILL 104

IX. ON AN ORCHARD SLOPE 113

X. PHIL'S PARTY 123

XI. BROTHERS 144

XII. NAN BARTLETT'S DECISION 158

XIII. THE BEST INTERESTS OF MONTGOMERY 168

XIV. TURKEY RUN 182

XV. LOIS 201

XVI. MERRY CHRISTMAS 217

XVII. PHIL'S PERPLEXITIES 241

XVIII. AMZI IS FLABBERGASTED 259

XIX. PHIL MOVES TO AMZI'S 272

XX. BACK TO STOP SEVEN 281

XXI. PHIL'S FISTS 292

XXII. MR. WATERMAN'S GREAT OPPORTUNITY 308

XXIII. PLEASANT TIMES IN MAIN STREET 321

XXIV. THE FORSAKEN GARDEN 336

XXV. PHIL ENCOUNTERS THE SHERIFF 355

XXVI. A CALL IN BUCKEYE LANE 373

XXVII. AMZI'S PERFIDY 385

OTHERWISE PHYLLIS

OTHERWISE PHYLLIS

CHAPTER I

THE KIRKWOODS BREAK CAMP

"Stuff's all packed, Phil, and on the wagon. Camera safe on top and your suit case tied to the tail gate. Shall we march?"

"Not crazy about it, daddy. Why not linger another week? We can unlimber in a jiffy."

"It's a tempting proposition, old lady, but I haven't the nerve." Kirkwood dropped an armful of brush on the smouldering camp fire and stood back as it crackled and flamed. There came suddenly a low whining in the trees and a gust of wind caught the sparks from the blazing twigs and flung them heavenward. He threw up his arm and turned his hand to feel the wind. "The weather's at the changing point; there's rain in that!"

"Well, we haven't been soaked for some time," replied Phil. "We've been awfully respectable."

"Respectable," laughed her father. "We don't know what the word means! We're unmitigated vagabonds, you and I, Phil. If I didn't know that you like this sort of thing as well as I do, I shouldn't let you come. But your aunts are on my trail."

"Oh, one's aunts! Oh, one's three aunts!" murmured Phil.

"Not so lightly to be scorned! When I was in town yesterday your Aunt Kate held me up for a scolding in the post office. I'd no sooner climbed up to my den than your Aunt Josie dropped in to ask what I had done with you; and while I was waiting for you to buy shoes at Fisher's your Aunt Fanny strolled by and gave me another overhauling. It's a question whether they don't bring legal process to take you away from me. What's a father more or less among three anxious aunts! As near as I can make out, Aunt Fanny's anxiety is chiefly for your complexion. She says you look like an Indian. And she implied that I am one."