The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-11-21

You wouldn't be likely to do bet
ter" put in Hannah, "with no recon-
mendation you see-though 1 don't say
you need one."
"Thank you. And what do you say?"
he asked, turning to Polly.
"I? Why, L" faltered Polly.
"Polly hasn't nothing to say about
it," 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 a sentence to loose ends"
81 was going to say that four makes
a cozy family"
"Two's company, and three's a
crowd. eh, Polly?" said Thornley,, with
laugh. And Baxter staid.
I" What makes the lamb love Mary
so p" he quoted, as they wended home
ward, Polly's little eve lamb, frisking
before them, having joined them in the
pastures.
"Why, you know" explained Polly,
cher mother disowned her, and she was
left shivering and hungry out in the
cold. And I 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 2"
"No but he said, Seems as though
she belonged to Polly But Miss Han
nah didn't like it. 'Then s'pose the
dishes belong to Polly, cause she
washes 'em, and the rooms, cause she
sweeps 'em, and the beds she makes 2
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 vituals p"
Have yon always lived here, Miss
Polly ?" asked Baxter.
"I have always lived in this house,
but not always as 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,
J and after she died we two lived on here
| together, and he taught me all I know
it isn't much. But when I was fif-
teen, 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,
sitting in his armchair, and gasped
once or twice, and I 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 maid -of-all-work for food
IL
for me to do, and the neighbors all said
1t was providence; but since then I
have struck for higher wages, and now
have day-dreams when 1 get enough
money mean to go away to school,
even if I'm as 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
GA 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, anxiously. "Shall 1
be too old?"
81 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 ever
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 inter-
ruptions were not owing to chance.
No sooner did she see them strolling off
together after work was over than she
slipped out the sink-room door with un-
dgniied haste, took shortcut through
the woods, and joined them as if she
were returning fromssa neighbours.
You'd oughter not to take to tramp
ing round the country SO much with
Baxter" she advised Polly on one occa-
sion; "folks will begin to talk about
YOU"
"Talk about mo? What can they
say ?" asked Polly.
"They'll say Baxter's making fool
of you-and they won't be far wrong"
"Why soould he wish to make fool
of me F" persisted Polly, tho tears gather
ing in her eyes. "Why should he take
the trouble2"
"It amt no trouble-it's amusing,
You're an easy victim, reckon"
After that Polly made an excuse when
Baxter wished 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 a stint 10
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 his shadow, conrted him with sweet
meats, and fattered him within an inch
of his life. "Baxter's that cute about
place, its pity he wasn't born twins"
she used to declare.
"Though he be 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-
tion, 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 It's delicious to hate you !'
Neither was Polly's existence made
more agreeable just at this time. Han
nah's amusement was to thwart Baxter
in his love-makiDg, to send him wild
goose chase OF mile or two in the wrong
a srnn fs1.z b. k..l.. II