The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1868-08-15

the floor and one arm round Pollys waist.
Such thing had never happened to Polly
before as to be made prop of, and she felt
/ it was excrutiatingly wrong for a governess
! 20, if her mother or Miss Mill could see
| herD; but at the same time, the very nov
| city of the circumstance made it difficult to
| extricate herself without compromising her
dignity. She pretended not to be aware of
the arm, though she was blushing and palp-
tating all over; and looking at the floor,
ever so far below her feet, she said, Let
me get down, please" .u. .t
You are quite safe you cant fall while
| am here" replied Bob, purposely misun-
derstanding her. -. .
Z" But don't like it; l am not used to
it," persisted Polly, vexed and ashamed of
herself, she hardly knew why.
Like it'' echoed Bob, in a voice Of ten
der concern. Like what?"
Polly turned her face and looked at him
with sudden tears in her eyes. He would
have liked to say or do something rash, but
he only took his arm away, and moved off
to the hearth. 1t was impossible to with
stand that touching appeal, which said plain
ly, " You are my host, and should protect
me, not offend me-" Polly gazed out of
the window for several minutes after, but he
saw the burning rose on her face, and one
tear splashed down on her hand. Maggie
seemed no: to notice this byplay, and went
singing to the dairy, upon which Bob drew
hastily near to Polly, and begged her not to
be angry. IL would not vex you for the
world" pleaded he. "Say you forgive
me-" Polly did not say anything distinctly,
but he understood that his peace was made ::
and when he heard Maggie coming back he
took his departure. "And good radiance
too" observed Maggie ''the custards would
certainly have been ruined if he had stayed"
In the evening Polly sang again, and Bob,
who had quite recovered his native audacity,
proclaimed that he would have singing
wife or none. Why did not his sisters sing
They could do nothing. Polly could do
everything.
Yes, Polly'sa clever little midge," said
Maggie, tendcrly folding her; "but you
need not take the trouble to set your cap at
her, Bob; for she has made up her mind al.
ready; she is going to be an old maid'
Bob laughed aloud, and seemed immensely
tickled in his imagination. ''She looks
like livery much like it indeed ~ said he.
" | should think so! Polly an old maid
That would be sin and shame ~
Polly blushed, and said, curtly, she wish
ed they would talk sense, and let her alone.
What business was it of Bob's, or Maggie
either, for that matter, what she was? AS
a governess and Il working woman, of course
she had other things to think of that made
her serious, very different to them, who had
been born with silver spoonsin their mouths.
These sentiments, and the tone of them, and
their slight incoherence, quite upset Bob's
gravity. He laughed long and merrily, and
only recovered himself when Polly sprang
up in tempest, and rushed to the door to
escape. Then, with one rapid movement,
he overlook and stopped her, and begged
her pardon with pleas enough to soften
heart of adamant. 81 am not baby; you
treat me like a baby" gasped she, crimson
and furious. 81 won't be called mouse
My name is Mary Curts!" Mrs. Living
stone was not present to keep order, but
Maggie knew by Polly's way that she was
really hurt and mortified; so she interfered,
and babe Bob let her alone; she was not
used to be leased.
"Thcn it is good for er,-rub the starch
out replied he, exasperatingly, and went
SO far in his teasing, that Polly, quite beside
herself with passion, struck him in the waist
coat with all her little might. 1t was a mis-.
take, as Bob INSTRUCTED her the next minute,
kissing her roughly, and then as roughly let
ting her go. The instant she was released,
she ran across the hail. half blinded with
tears, and, after tripping Or stumbling twice
or thrice on the stairs in the dark, gained
the safe refuge of Maggie's room, where
Maggie found her presently, weeping fit to
break her heart Polly's selfrcspect was
grievously wounded if she could not make
Bob behave to her like lady, what was to
become of her amongst children! Maggie
was perplexed. The ways and customs of
Backthorn Grange admitted of good deal
of kissing amongst friends, but Polly evi.
IDENTIFY considered kiss a mortal offence
She essayed to comfort her by representing
the fact in its local light.
"Don't make such fuss, Polly; one
would think you were half killed." said she.
"What does kiss matter? and it was only
Bob"
"He is perfect bear!' sobbcd Polly
81 wish l had never GOMEZ"
"You cross tile savage thing And it
is not very polite to tell me Bob's bear
He is nothing of the kind. You ought to
feel hattered he would not plague you if
he did not think you nice. Maria Spinks
was here whole month, and he never Of
fered to kiss her once"
Polly dried her eyes and looked up. " He
is so abominably rough" she began, and
ton of the blow she had given him, which,
strictly speaking, was far more in nature of
an assault than kiss.
"Ah, you may well stop and beihink
yourself of his provocation," said Maggie,
significantly.
Did hurt him?'' asked Polly, with
lovely usefulness.
"Dreadfally! How could you help it.,
hitting him, as you did purposely, in the re-
gon of the heart? And Bob is very dell
cate. 1t is easy to be sorry for it afterwards,
but that is the way people get into passions,
and commit murder, or manslaughter at
least"
81 wish could go away tomorrow be-
fore breakfast" said Polly, ready to sink
with shame and selfreproach.
"That is impossible. You will just have
to do pensnoe and sit by Bob, and if you
take my advice you will behave as usual,
| and saw nothing about to- night II Is lucky