River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-03-28

She must have known instinrtively to
what he was abiding, for, though she
started, she rose without word, and,
with steady fingers, laid the shillings
eide by side along the mantel-shelf
Nineteen shillings,r she said, slowly
land the sixpence."
"It seems hardly worth while to leave
the sixpence there" said Dick, in hur-
ried whisper, "does it, Polly? If it were
| ours"
of it were ours" said Polly, with
frightening eyes, "we'd have good din
ner tomorrow, Dick, and not cheap bread,
and we'd give baby milk without water
in it."
and if it were all ours2" said Dick,
still speaking softly.
"If it were all ours?n interrupted Polly
with strange look darkening over her
face, "We would be happy, Dickie,
wouldn't WEI Something to eat for a
whole month-tiIl Christmas and some
thing over"
."Oh, every thing said Dick. polly
and he dropped his voice until she had
| to stoop to listen-sscouldn't we Just
borrow if, you know, for month or so?
| If it were ours" And his little child
ish hand stole out and touched the first
shilling on the shelf.
| Polly had been sitting as one in a
| dream, but at the touch she seemed to
awaken The new dark look that had
been creeping over her face changed and
frightened as she jumped up and put
Dicks hand somewhat roughly aside.
eff it were ours, we'd spend it, Dick"
she said; ''but as it is, we'll just keep it
safe till we see her."
"But if we never sec herr" said Dick,
| whimperiDg and half frightened.
Never mind that" said Polly, decid
eddy; 'if the worst comes, Dick, and we
have nothing, there's always the
House,
'1But work house, objected Dick.
"Well, we have to work anyway" said
Polly, with practical common sense, "and
we may as well work in house as not
that's my joke, Dick"
Dick laughed, as he always felt bound
in honor to DO at Polly jokes; and, half
an hour afterward, he was laying fast
asleep, with long lashes shading his wist-
full eyes, and the money quite forgotten
but Polly, remembering the temptation,
kept the shillings always in her pocket
| for the future, and went to bed that night
with one other trouble added to her care
| full life.
But they did not come to the House"
after all, for, when the children had gone
to bed that night, Mrs. O'Flannighan held
council of two in her room, and decid-
ed that she colld work with an easier
! H. 6 OlI fp fan
Billy bit, and give him what he needed.
$50 I'll pay the rent OF the room, ;
Mrs O'Flannighan said, land | don't
doubt they'll pick up enough to get along
for the winter" for Mrs. O'Flannighan
was looked upon as moneyed woman in
Groves Alley.
So 1T Glanced that morning after morn
ing, when Dick had gone out with his
blacking-box to earn the daily bread,
Polly would go singing down stairs with
the baby to brighten Billy's room with
her patient, CHEEKY ways and pleasant
face, as she had frightened her own home
and Billy caught the infection, and grew
to wonder how he had ever thought the
DAYS long, or the pain in his back too
terrible to bear, for Polly could show him
so many ways of making the time pass.
She cauld make baskets out of nuts, and
mice out of apple pips; she could sing and
chatter while she worked about: and,
best of all, when the sunshine died out
and her work was over, she could pin up
the corner of the blind, just to show the
red light over the gloomy alley, and sit
holding his feverish hand in hers, telling
him beautiful stories, with the quiet baby
on her lap; only sometimes she had to
stop when she coughed she had grown
to cough a good deal lately--and then
they would all sit quiet until Mrs.
O'Flannighan came busting in, or
Dickles whistle sounded on the stairs, and
Polly had to run out to spend the pen
MES he had earned.
"She's not bad child" Mrs. O'Flanni-
CHAN said to Billy, as she stood one even
ing watching the slight figure toiling
YEARLY up stairs with the baby--"better
than most, l fancy"
"Why, mother said Billy, flushing at
the faint praise, "she's more than that
she's beautiful"
''The're good lot-always," went on
the woman, standing by the window, with
her rough arms crossed. "The mother
was likely woman--hut fine
GLOW fne?" asked little Billy, sitting
up in bed and listening attentively.
"Oh, they thought deal of themselves
for they'd come down in the world-the
Markers; but they were quiet folk, and
when they got poor and ill we were all
sorry for them, and helped them on bit.
Good quiet creatures, but too fine for
Groves Alley"
"But Polly's not fine" said Billy, with
a sob in his voice.
"No, not fine, but too good for Groves
Alley, all the same-one of the kind that's
above this earth by long way
| ''But she's been on the earth such lit
tie WHILE" said Billy, earnestly; "they
wouldn't take her away yet. You've been
longer, mother, and doubt you're tired ;
but Polly'd never want to get to heaven
| before me-"
"Good gracious me, child" said Mrs.
O'Flannighan, brusquely, ''and what's
wishing got to do with, it | wonder2
Polly Marker may be fit for heaven now,
| or she may have as many years as I've
had to live out first; but, marx my words
Billy o Flannighan, that, with that cough
of hers, and her half starving herself for
4 the llICtG SlC IL DS Adlu az bClOlO
| the winters out"
Which remark of Mrs. o. Flannighan
was as true as prophecy for, when the
| the cold winter sun rose next morning
over Crows Alley, it was Dick who was
creeping shivering about to build up the
little fire and make the tea, while Polly
lay white and sick upon the bed, with
her heavy eyes closed.
"Do you feel any better2" Dickie asked
every two or three minutes; and Polly
tried to open her eyes and smile, but she
looked so white and still that Dickie grew
frightened presently, but more brighten
ed when Polly sat up in bed, as she did
by-and-by, with red spot on each cheek
and began ing rapidly and moving