Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1874-02-19
RAILROAD SKETCHES,

! -srs :a,.5 gds s4l ~ 4as~srsa I
s'You voa's throw nae over, for thi
Polly. after al these years
/ The~tone vas one of passiousts eutrea
/ y. and Polly srcmbled. ~ "a s7eB G'i
etIm mot thre~ing yeag svsr. Dcnni
tn and nnderstand. ls's only ~ wait |
little longer
'rhs broad chest heavsd under me Bio,
I Asanel shirt. ssse 5EA .Sesie94t-g =. : :
a-Only to wait 1 Haseni I vaited Pol,
| j. |? saited patient9 Is . mans love moth.
ing. that It must be set aside for drunk.
en- brute of father, Who's 30 blind vitt
drink half his time that he cant tell fhs
difference between you aud black Hauashl
and the little hosse al ready, rso .,s1
.Yes. know. Dennis; but ., promise
u : pfoGdiise; and l have promised uussoshe.
| to let nothing come between me and lsth-
er as long - he liscs- And be has turned
against you Dennis, now at the last min.
ute, aud We can't be married Just now.
He turned fiercely upon the spare little
figure at his side. "A woman Is the cold
eat hearted creature on God 8 green earth
If had everything in my hands-as you
have now-not heaven nor earth could
stop me. And here you and-my
6oan -r- '.-.e
Polly thought Of the bright little home
dowa in the village; it would never be
hers. and with the thought came a silent
little ghost Of a sigh; but she had sailed
closed SO often eiucS venturinR
upon the stormy sra of this mans love,
that she did not blunder now. Laying
one slender hand upon his arm, she raised
her patient eyes to his face.
Don't you know il is hard for me too,
Dennis r
Long afterwards those words and that
look haunted him. but he needed neither
then. Catching her hand. he crushed
it in one Of his. ike feather.
its the last time. Polly: I've said il
aud I'll stand tois. I'll never ask You
again. so help me God! Will you co,ac?'
-. Dennis. you know I can't!'
Then. goodbye. a promise is a prom
isc.' he added bitterly. as he turned and
walked away without once looking back.
Without once looking back. And Pol.
ly looking after him with her lips to the
hand be had held, knew thai he was hers
no longer. .-
God bless him. she said ervcntly,
him and all his. forever
She topk up the weary burden Of life
anew. If her courage failed or her hear.
faltered, none knew-none save God
Dennis dropped entirely out of her life,
no widow was ever more desnlate. She
had visions of little child, with Dennis
handsome face-she was very plain her
self. poor Polly "a little child who should
sometime call her mother but that could
never be. am not sure but this child
of her dreams had been her sweetest fancy
for it will never die to her though its
grave ia made in that shadowy IDEAL king
dom where she dwelt aforetimc.
There was nothing bat reality left, and
though sue felt it more aud more as the
days went on, she worked on faithfully.
When her father, misery even in his cups,
said to her in his thick drunken voice,
NO tea tonight. Polly; we are poor. very
poor. Bat I've saved four crackers for
your supper. I'm good father to ;ou,
Polly, she only put out a thin hand
such thin hand to take them, and "a
thank you father and no look Of DISCUS.
on her face though they smelled Of tobac-
co and rum.
Perhaps the old man thought he ravens
fed his daughter. for he made no effort to
do so himself If ever in an uncommon
q. Of generosity. he brought home any
thing he always asked for it again in the
morning and ate it himself Polly was
used to it. She had her dinner and break
fast with al eccentric old lady who liked
to have her around anG paid her a small
sum weekly for the privilege. So Polly
wrote the old lady's letters and mended
stockings for about year, and then q
change came. Going home with the
leaves dropping stiliy about her Just as
they did on that evering-how long ago
she found her father at home before her.
He was trembling aud whimpering. drop
ping weak tears over a weak and dying
fire. ''..
You're late. Polly. what makes yoa
later when l want your
Polly laid away her rrar, quietly in
her old maidish way asking kindly ques.
tions the while.
sIs anything ,the matter fs,herr 5.
I'm not we'll taken care Of. I'm cold
aud hungry. You're getting close Pol.
ly. close. when you won't get your old
father . mou,h!uI Of tea when you'v p!en.
ty Of money
Polly. put her shawl on again.
Where are you goingi l want 70,
here. you're mighty fond Of ieavfng M,
alone Polly, patient aud lons-suffer
ing. put away her shawl. and beckcnin.
to a boy who stood on the stree, osssii,
sent for what she wanted. Then sh,
mended the ere and sa. down to wait.
You've no, been good TO me. Polly
this has, year you've not been cheerful
I can't bear 4 long face; you Ought 4
know it. You do know it, don's4 you
PolyI' -a.g-... ... --.... .....,...
/ Yes, father
Il 4 don't feel right. Tn oil Of shak
and quivcr. Why dout You do some
thing - go los - ss-y
The kettles boiling, father. and. il,
have sent for loaf aud some tea
, You'll feel better when you have lad you
T tea
He did feel better, veil enough to IA
aside what vas left Of the isaf for b
breakfast. and scatter the Gre 20 that
: would not burn the rest Of the wood.
''Thatll be wood enough TO get, m
breakfast. You're 90 ex.rasagans, Po,ly
D Go 70 bed - .,...,.
= He vent to bed hu. Polly sat On 10 Il