The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-05-05
POLLYS MISTAKE.

not In that way
Not in what way"
"Whv, there are dozens of ways
well, Polly, Just say you'll marry me, and
You may be fond of me in your own way, or
IN dozen ways-I'm not particular
But that was jus: what Polly would not do
An Johns eloouence could not induce her to
inter that simple little word yes" At last
Johns stock Of patience, never very large
gave out, and he told Polly that she was q
tlinty.heared little flirt, to pretend TO be fond
of him in any way, when it was plain to be
seen that she did not care a button for him
That was too much, TO be called hirt, and a
tliny-hearted hlrt! and by john Pollys
eyes sparkled, and a sharp retort was on the
tip CT her tongue, when the kitchen door
opened and Uncle Silas entered.
" BE you two holdin' Quaker mee,ln':'
said ne us he was going out, after filling and
lighting his pipe at Polly's Ironing place, "or
he you savln' up for the singin' tonight:
Don't overdo II, tho, Polly, Or may be your
longue'll get stiff in the jints Queer things
IS WOmens tongues And Uncle Sllas went
of chucklng over his little joke.
OF course, after that, Polly was not going
10 be in hurry to speak. Perhaps John
thinks She can't hold her tongue, too! She
will show him! And Polly bites her lips
very hard and tries to look very resoute in.
deed But John had been busy repenting tor
zen minutes; he got up as his father shut the
door, and said quite gently, Pm sorry, Fol
ly, for what said awhile ago dldn mean
j., dear
No ansger-unless big tear that dropped
On Poly's iron just then might be taken for
one.
well Polly, never mind; I'll try to get
over icing fond Of you, If II makes you feel
20 pHhappy. lou need not cry about it;
horu IS not 50 bad Us that" And with that,
john went out to his wood choppiDg and Pol.
ly flushed ironing and nobody was any the
wiser; that is, nobody but Paul Pry, the par.
rol, who had heard every word, and startled
Polly drcadIuiy that same evening by call,
;ng ont suddenly at the supper table, "Hillo!
Polly, never mind never mind Poor Polly
pretty Polly! don't cryH
However neither Uncle Silas nor Aunt
Deb5y paid the least regard TO Paul Pry's
rather personal and slightly impertnent re-
marks but they made Polly SO nervous with
dread of what he might say next that she
could not eat, aDd thereby attracted Aunt
Dobbys attention 10 herself.
lir YOU sick child! You don't seem to
AayC 30 appetite, and your iace is red rs Il
beet This minute. | do hope to goodness you
ain'J going TO be took down with fever. ST.
mon Brown says it's dreilul bad over to Rock.
Away.'
Pollys checks is allus like pink holly
books saiu Uncle Silas, with II glance Of
aleclOnatc admiration.
'Spme folks admire to see red checks, and
then again some doesn't There's Alice
Brown now; she amt go, no more color nor
a slaj;on; but most folks lows she's dreilul
hanGsum. That young painter chap from
'iOrS Was u.lus drawn of her peter For
my part, ! think rcd checks is healthy" and
Aunt Dcbby stirred her tea medtatively.
AiICC Brown amt no more 10 be compared
% our Polly for looks nor them potato sprouts
down cellar Is TT TO put n posy along %
plnks and gillyfowers," said Uncle Sias IN
dignuntly.
80 Wen, father, | dunno; last Sabbath to
church, when | looked up in the core and
see Alice in her white ir0ck and with all them
yellow curls nangin' round her face and sing
IN 50 sweet like, why couldn't help think.
IN ui the angels
" Polly amt no angel, surely But don't
you he down-hcarIcd, Polly; pretty gals amt
gUin nut o fashion this year-nO, nor next
year. hulhcr.
" L. father, how you do talk! AS if Poi
y didn't know better nor 10 set store by her
good looks. Why, there was Ciqrissy Hun.
ter when was girl-a perfect wax doll, all
pink aud white, and hair the color o. sun
shine. Well, She went down TO FallbrIdge to
Tisi, her mothers relations, and took small
pox, and that was the last of her good looks
Bu, that wasn't the wCst OF it; she was prom.
Used 10 Hiram barber, and when he sees she
WASH n bit Ike herself, he up and married
Kitty Gibson. Ii it had been me, I'd a
miher mad Carissy, if she was humbly, for
She was swcettempered criter, and II
mighty neat housekeepeT; but Kitty Barber
klily Gibson that was-was a Tartar and a
5ialiern to boot, which amt common. For
lOu u mostly see slack, easy-gUin' woman
Amt got no mole snap in her nor dIshcloui
while a woman that's suthIn OF spitii-e is
apt To be mortal spry, and generally has two
cleauin' days in the week"
Polly, who had begun 20 clear off the sup.
per table, stopped midway to the pantry TO
hear the last of Aunt Dehby's "reminiscences,
and she could not help wondering IL II made
any difference TO John II she should lose her
good l1oks-that is supposlng they had been
engaged, like Clarissa and Hiram. OF course,
~ things were, John would not care If her
eyes should suddenly turn crooked IN her
head, or II her pretty lille nose were 10 as.
snme gigantic proportions on the instant.
John was what women call handy" about
The house, and often helped Polly wash dish
IS and peel potatoes: and on wash-days, ia
very cold weather he had even been known
10 hang out the clothes, all Of which his moth
y aud the neighbor women put down 10 IN,
sc're ~ Johns kind heart, and they all agreed
that Ne would make a model husband
Perhaps II was all abstract goodness or
Johns part; but II so, why was II that no
body had ever known him to show the leas
concern about old Mrs Morse's rheumatic
pa ls when she took Polly's place at the
vssntub,- though he had been seen 10 hold
POlly's rosy digits for FIVE minutes. Just tc
safm them you know, and then sent her IN
S'.rs, while he baitied manfully with wet
happlrg sheets and stringy towels
As line went on. however, he seemed Il
To- al his helpful ways about the house N,
wafer bucket might stand empty half the dsy
rHH"Ht tis perceiving "; Polly might re
ss's ser asgeTs Ia PINK jelly driving nails {,