The Newtown bee., 1879-09-03
POLLY
CHAPTER I.

CHATTER l.
 Dick you are the most provoking boy in the world! You've got no re- spcct for your sisters or oranything on this earth. Give me my letter this instant, sir! l would not have such work man. aging you, my young man, if mamma had only left your hair long enough to pull"
 Dick, rejoicing in very close crop, dodges under her arm as Polly makes a grab at his bristly head.
 With "DOn't you wish you could got it?" and delighted cackle at her grasping a handful of empty air instead of his auburn locks, he makes his es- cape, lodging the letter with a skillfui twitch on q high bracket which holds a bust of Dickens.
 The boys in the Lyons family had come mostly girls; in fact, Dick repre- sented the single male off-shoOt, and, like the bad little boy of the newspapers, he wouldn't for any money have risked being born again for fear of coming girl next time.
 "Joy go with you! Good riddance to bad rubbish!" is Polly's parting salute, and she proceeds to fish out from behind the plaster-of Paris cOat-sleeYe of MT Dickens the apple of discord. And her color, which had risen unbecomingly dur ing the scutlle with Dick, tones down as she reads it.
 Supposing Job had received a kind letter of invitation from one of his moth CTS kind friends-for the first time, too don't you think it would have riled even him, for q brown, smudgy paw, sticky with molasses, to have seized it, erking it out of his hands, when he was in the midst of opening it, without so much as" by your leave," and toss it up to the ceiling?
 The subject of this visit had been broached before; now comes the letter bringing matters 10 a focus. driving it home" says Kitty.
 Actually names the time for you to come" remarks Patsy; and that is more than most city folks do. They will come and spend weeks with their coun- try friends in July, and then tell one to be sure to cali when one goes to the city. Think of how Mrs. Aytoun treated the Dodson's, Kitty"
 And you've nothing to do but pack up your trunk and start, Polly" says Mrs. Lyons, innocently.
 Mercy on us, mamma! But pack my trunk and start! Unless I get in myself l don't see what there'll be 10 pack it with. If l depend on my alpaca and blue poplin, I'll be leaning on broken reed, I am sure; and 1 can toss my few things in, and then there'll be room enough in the trunk for Tootems and Dot to play hide-and-seek.
 "Come, now, Polly, I am sure you look nicely in your things. Ever so much nicer than the Dodson girls, who spend so much."
 It is one of Mrs. Lyons firm articles of belief that her girls look "nicer' than all other.girls at all times. II. fact, that as far as her girls are concerned, there is nothing for heart to desire.
 And actually" cries Polly, |" if I had my hands stuffed with money at this moment I wouldn't know what to get or how to make it. That comes of living in the country on the road to nowhere. If were papa I'd move tomorrow and not hide my talents under napkin"
 Tut, tut, Polly! Don't quote Scrip ture in fret" says Dick. Always keep your temper, my child"
 Mamma, will you please to make Dick behave!' seeing that he dodged all her efforts to box his ears.
 Richard. my sonn'
 "Oh, you'll scrape through" says Kitty, taking up the thread of discourse where it was broken by the skirmish with Dick. Well all help you out"
 Dot, who was number four, and
 
 gave up on the spot all right and title to any and everything new that. she might, could, would or should have that winter.
 The family conclave was not broken up till far into the night. Certain trips to the neighboring town were planned nd taken, and many demands made upon the family purse.
 But at last Polly's trunk was packed actually packed-with "good clothes," and there was nothing more to be done.
 1t was in quite q gushing state of mind that Polly bundles herself up in a big shawl for a farewell walk the evening preceding the eventful day.
 Being December, there were no flowers to assist sentiment; no nothing much, except bare brown hills and leafiess, gaunt trees.
 "The sheep were in the fold; the cows gone home;" even the birds gone to roost. But she would not be baked.
 "I'll try my fortune," she said; and, looking around to see that no one is near, she stops before a large tree. As one of France's gifted writers had done before her, she takes heavy stone and draws very near.
 If hit the tree" she says, :" it shall be sign that before the month is out I find true love. If not-then not.''
 Like the French philosopher, Rous- seau, she plumps the tree, and experi- ences the same feeling of relief and ex- ultation.
 CHAPTER II.