The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-12-06

Il Oily uuSil nOtulilS W SOY oooueAe,
objected Hannah. "Me and Hiram runs
this concern"
"Then she's the first woman that
hasn't nothing to say. Speak up, Polly
commanded Farmer Thornley,. Don't
never leave sentence to loose ends"
II was going to say that four makes a
coy family"
"Two's company, and three's crowd,
eh, Polly?" said Thornley,, with laugh.
And Baxter stayed. -.
"'What makes the lamb love Mary
SOP" he quoted. as they wendell home
ward, Polly's little eve lamb frisking
before them, having joined them IN the
pastures.
"Why, you know" explained Polly,
"her mother disowned her, and she was
left shivering and hungry out in the
cold. And / brought her in and warmed
her before the kitchen fire, and fed her
with warm milk, till she grew and
throve."
"And Thornley, gave her to you?"
"No; but he said, Seems as though
she belongs to Polly But Miss Han
nah didn't like it. Then I s'pose the
dishes belong to Polly, cause she
washes 'em, and the rooms, cause she
sweeps 'em, and the beds she makes?'
she said. Isn't Polly paid her lawful
wages for doing whatever her hands
find to do, be it to cosset lambs or cook
the victuals?"
"Have you always lived here, Miss
Polly?" asked Baxter.
81 have always lived in this house,
but not always as a servant, Mr.. Baxter.
This was the old parsonage; my uncle
lived here, with little or no salary. He
didn't care for that; he came here to do
good, to show the people the road to
heaven-there was no church, then, for
miles around-and he had money OF his
own. My mother and came with him,
and, after she died, We two lived on
here together, and he taught me all l
know-it isn't much. But, when L was
10, he came home one day from the
city, where he had gone on business,
and told me that some wicked people
had ruined him, that his good work was
ended; and he threw his head back, sit
ting in his armchair, and gasped once
or twice, and / was all alone-quite,
quite alone. After that people came
and looked at the place, and the Thorn
leys among them; and / was little
moping beggar not knowing which way
to turn, and the Thornleys offered to
keep me for aid-of-all-work for food
and clothing. There was nothing else
for me to do, and the neighbors all said
it was providence but since then L
have struck for higher wages, and now
/ have day-dreams; when l get enough
money / mean to go away to school,
even if Tn old as the hills, and then,
maybe, can do something nicer than
to churn and cook for my daily bread"
"And you have saved something's"
g A hundred dollars already"
Baxter smiled "And when do you
expect to have enough to set out and
seek your fortune?"
DO you think it will take very long~
she asked, nxiously. Shall l be too
old?"
/ should think not" he returned, still
smiling to himself.
This was not the first walk Baxter and
Polly had taken together, neither was
this the last confidence reposed in each
other.
you two do seem to have an evel-
lasting lot of talk together" commented
Hannah, "and Polly amt no talker
neither; and, what's queer, you always
come to full stop when body catches
up to You" She had just overtaken
them on the highway, as it happened,
though usually Miss Hannah's Interrupt
tons were not owing to chance. No
sooner did she see them strolling off to-
gether after work was over than she
slipped out the sink-room door with UNI
dignified haste, took short cut through
the woods and Joined them as if she
were returning from a neighbor's.
"You oughter not take to tramping
round the country SO much with Bax-
ter" she advised Polly on one occasion;
folks will begin to talk about you."
Talk about me? What can they
say?" asked Polly.
They'll say Baxter's making a fool
of you-and they won't be far wrong"
"Why should he wish to make fool
of me?' persisted Polly, the tears gath
ering in her eyes. why should he
take the trouble?"
'It amt no trouble-it's amusing.
You're an easy victim reckon"
After that Polly made an excuse when
Baxter asked leave to go with her on an
errand, or begged her to step outside on
fine twilights and listen to the whip-poor-
wills; she had always stint to finish,
the bread to mix, the milk to set, or
some homely duty to detain her. An
older woman than Polly would have
seen that Miss Hannah herself had set
her heart upon Baxter, followed him
about like shadow, courted him with
sweetmeats, and fattered him within an
inch of his life. "Baxter's that cute
about place, it's a pity he wasn't born
twins" she used to declare.
Though he's a tramp" Thornley,
would add.
But it was loves labor lost. Her fiat
teries fell upon unheeding ears, as she
was not slow to discover. By painful
degrees her keen eyes took in the situa-
ton, and her emotions changed, as the
case became hopeless, from love TO
hatred; she seemed to echo the poets
assertion:
To love you was pleasant enough
But, oh. tits delicious TO hate you!
Neither was Polly's existence made