The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-11-23

the city, where he had gone on business.
and told me that some wicked people bad
ruined him. that his good work was ended:
and he threw his head back, sitting III his
arm chair, and gasped once or twice and
was all alone-quite, quite alone After
that people came and looked at the place.
and the Thornleys among them; and was
little moping beggar, not knowing which
way to turn, and the ThoInleys offered to
keep me for maid Of all work for food and
/ clothing. There was nothing else for me
to do, and the neighbors all said il was a
providence; but since then have struck
for higher wages, and now | have day
dreams; when get enough money mean
to go away to school, even if I'm old as
the hills, aud then may be can do some
thing nicer than to churu and cook for nv
daily bread
And you have saved something?"
/ "A hundred dollars already
! Baxter smiled. "And when do you ex
pect to have enough to set out and seek
/ your fortune? ."
( Do you think it will take very long ."
she asked, anxiously. "Shall he too
| old ~
i 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 eveIlast
ing lot Of talk together" commented Han
nah, land 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 high
way, as it happened, though usually Miss
Hannah Interruptions were not owing to
! chance. No sooner did she see them stroll.
ing off together after work was over than
she slipped out the sink room door with
nndignified haste. took short cut through
the woods, and Joined them as if she were
returning from neighbours.
You'd oughter not take to tramping
round the country SO much with Baxter"
she advised Polly on one occasion; folks
will begin to talk about you"
"Talk about meo What can they saw"
asked Polly.
They'll say Bakter's making a fool of
you-and they wont be far wrong"
Why should he wish to make fool of
me?' persisted Polly, the tears gathering
in her eyes. why should lie take the
trouble ~
1t amt no trouble-it's amusing You
are an easy victim, reckon"
After that Polly made an excuse when
Baxter asked leave to go with her on an
GRAND. or begged her to step outside OF
fine twiliehts and listen to the whip poor
wills; she had always a stint to finish, the
bread TO mix, the milk to set, or some
homely duty to detain her. An older
woman that Polly would have seen that
Miss Hannah herself had set her hear;
upon Baxter, followed him about like his
shadow, courted him with sweetmeats, and
battered him within an inch of his life
Baxter's that cute about place. it's
pity he wasn't born twins. she used to de
clare.
Though he be tramp" Thornley,
would add
But it was loves labor lost. Her flat
teries fell upon uuheeding ears, as she was
not slow to discover. BY painful degrees
her keen eyes took in the situation, and
her emotions changed, as the case became
hopeless, from love to hatred she seemed
to echo the poets assertion:
ITO love you was pleasant enough,
But, oh. It's delicious to hate you.''
Neither was Polly existence made more
agreeable just at this time. Hannah
amusement was to thwart Baxter in his
love making, TO send him a wild goose
chase Of a mile or two in the wrong direc
ton, To put stumbling blocks in the way
But she did not stop here; she suggested
to Thornleys slow mind the possibility OF
an elopement. of duty neglected g along OF
spoonng upon Polly
a. Do we know anything about Baxter
Did he have a recommendation ." she |
darkly insinuated. Didn't | caution YOU
against taking him in: If you lose any
'''HN anu pllN cOH LAY II !
to my ioor, that's all"
Him and Polly" gasped Thornley,. |
Baxter"
Hannah hit the mark at last. Blessings |
brighten as they take their flight. Polly |
might have lived at Thornley, Farm for a |
century, and Thornley, never have found |
out that she was dearer TO him than Hannah |
till some one else should threaten to claim |
TO please him; Inc lay in wait aud watched |
the lovers as a cat watches mouse and |
worried them as cruelty.
One evening Miss Hannah entered the
room where Polly was sitting in the twi |
light.
Plotting mischief, reckon she said |
" Are you fond of darkness, Polly, cause |
ycur deeds are evil? Strike 4 light, girl |
I'd a roll of crisp bank bills in my hand IN |
hour ago-Square Emery paid his butter |
bill this afternoon; ! put 'em in my gown |
pocket when Hiram called me to turn the |
crindstone-and they're gone, Now you
needn't tell me they're gone without
hands,
There's been no pickpocket here, Miss
Hannah
Amt there? When you take folks in
out of the highway, without no recon-
mendation, how do you know what their
habits is? To be sure, didn't suspect no |
one Of having stole EN- out of my pocket;
naturally them bills must have dropped out |
between here and the barn; but Hiram and |
me has hunted the place over and again,