Felix o'Day by Francis Hopkinson Smith — Read

While it was true that Felix, since Masie's party, had gained the complete good-will of his neighbors, there were, strange as it may seem, certain individuals who, while they acknowledged the charm of his personality, resented his quiet reserve. What nettled them most was his not having told them at once who he was and why he had come to Kling's, and why he had stayed on wrapped in mystery. They considered themselves, so to speak, as defrauded of something which was their right and said so in plain terms.

"Well, I hope it won't be a pair of handcuffs they'll surprise him with some day"; or, "When that pal of his turns up, then you'll see fun," being some of the suggestions frequently made over counters, to be answered by his loyal adherents with a "Well, I don't care what ye say. I ain't never come across no man any better than Felix O'Day since I lived here, and that's no lie."