Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-05-23

were not owing to chance. No sooner did she
see them strolliug of together after work
was over than she slipped out the sinkroom
door with undignided haste, took a short cut
through the woods, and Joined them as II she
were returning from neighbours.
" You ought not TO take TO tramping round
the country so much with Baxter" she adj
vised Polly on one occasion; "folks will begin
to talk about you"
"Talk about met What can they say"
asked Polly.
They'll say Baxter's making fool Of you
and they won't be far wrong.n
"Why should he wish TO make fool OF
meP' persisted Polly, the tears gathering In
her eyes. "Why should he take the
| troublew
alt ain't no trouble-it's amusing. You're
an easy victim, reckon"
| After that Polly made an excuse when BaX-
ter asked leave to go with her on an errand
or begged her to step outside on fine twillghts
! and listen to the whip-poOr-wills; she had al
ways stint to finish, the bread to mix, the
milk TO set, or some homcly duty to detaln
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, courted him with sweetmeats,
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 de-
| clare.
"Though he be a tramp" Thornley, would
add
But It was loves labor lost Her batteries
| fell upon unheeding ears as she was not slow
| 10 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.
TO love you was pleasant enough,
But, oh tits dcllcious.t TO hate youln
Neither was Polly's existence made more
agreeable just at this time. Hannah's amuse-
ment was 20 thwart Baxter In his love-making
| TO send him a wild-goose chase OF mile or
| two in the wrong direction, to put stumbling
blocks in the way. But she did not stop here;
she suggested to Thornley's slow mind the
possibility of an elopement, of duty neglected
"along Of spooning upon Polly"
"Do we know anything about Baxter!
Did he have recommendation! she darkly
insinuated. "Didn't caution you against
taking him ini III you lose anything through
him and Polly don't lay 1t to my door, that's
all.n
"IIlm and Pollyr' gasped Thornley,. "Bax-
tern
Hannah had hit the mark at last Bless
ings 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 her.
After that, Baxter could do nothing to please
him; he lay in wait and watched the lovers as
cat watches a mouse, and worried them as
cruelty.
One evening Miss Hannah entered the room
where Polly was sitting in the twilight.
Plotting mischief, | reckon" she said
" Are you fond of darkness, Polly, cause
your deeds are evil Strike light, girl. I'd
a roll of crisp bank bills in my hand an hour
ago-'SQuare Emery paid his butter bill this
afternoon; put 'em in my gown pocket when
Hiram called me to turn the grin'stone-and
they're gone Now youneedn't tell me they're
gone without hands.n
"Ihere's been no pickpocket here Miss
Hannah.n
"Ain't therel When you take folks in out
of the highway, without no recommendation,
how do YOU know what their habits is! To
be sure, didn't suspect no one of having
stole 'em out of my pocket; there's hole in
it; I'd forgot about it; and naturally them
bills must have dropped out between here and
the barn; but Hiram and me has hunted the
place over and again, and it stands to reason
they couldn't have Travelled further without
hands.n
"MercY!' cried Polly. "How much was
therer
"a whole hundred dollars, miss; and If 1t
Amt forthcoming, somebody'll smart for it."
"You don't think that took your money,
Miss Hannah!n
"Wel, maybe not; but it's gone-and
there's BaXter.n
"BaIter!n
Yes, indeed. What do you or l know
about the felown
know he wouldn't do it.n
He'll have to prove it. I'll have him up
before the court sure as you live"
Polly could hardly keep her anger from
tiaming into audacious words; the bare sus-
picion was blow to her. She believed in
Baxter thoroughly; though an angel had ac-
cused him, yet would she have upheld him.
But how often have the innocent suffered
how often has injustice triumphed over
justice To be suspected merely was an ir-
reparable injury she thought. Baxter might
his good is fnbf ba
to prison-every thing might go against him,
and he had nobody but her for defense. AS
it happened he had gone down to the village
to get the mail and do some chores, and
while Hannah inveighed and Polly defended, |
small boy knocked at the door to bring the |
pleasing news that " Mr.. Baxter, the fellow |
as works for old Thornley,, give me a quarter |
to run up and let you know he wouldn't be
to home tonight, and maybe not tomorrow
neither, as he'd been called away suddlng like |
along of a letter"
"Therem calculated Hannah, 81 hope |
you're convinced. He's absconded. I'll have |
the law after him sure his names Baxter, |
which dare say 1t ain't.n
"Were your bills new greenbacks! and did |
you take the numbers" Z" asked Polly.
''Crisp and fresh as new cabbage leaves;
and as for the numbers, they were fves and |
tens lust as it happened"
"We must have another good search before |
you accuse any onen
"Only them that hides can find"
And Polly spared no pains; every minute
that she could secure from her duties was
spent In the search; but when the second
night and day passed without bringing Baxter,
or any tidings from him, ,sher heart sank be-
meath the weight of Miss Hannah's words;
not that she doubted him for ar instant, but |
the suspicion might keep him away, and she |
might never see his face again. There was
now but one thing to dO and she did it. She |
begged leave of Miss Hannah to 90 to the
town and mail letter.
"Lor', Hiram'll mail II for you,u said
Hannah, intent upon mastering its contents
first. But Polly was firm in the matter; the
letter was too precious to trust to another.
1t ran:
"MR. BAXTER;-f you are staying away
from your work and losing wages because YOU
are suspected of finding Miss Hannah's money,
which she lost the day you left, please return
at once, as money has been found, and your
good name is restored, though never suspect
ed by your friend,
PAULINE POWERS"
But her object In town was not merely 10
mail this document; she went direct from the
post-Sfice to the bank where her little hoard
was growing, and drew out hundred dollars
IN crisp greenbacks, tives and tens. trusting
that they made no larger parcel than Miss
Hannah's; then she retraced her steps home
ward, and quietly dropped the precious roll
on the floor of Miss Hannah's closet, where II
might easily have been overlooked after fall.
ing from the rent in her pocket; she wisely
coniectured that the next day being Friday
Miss Hannah would bring 1t to light with her
broom.
whats all this about Miss Hannah's mon
ey and my good namen asked Baxter, when
he returned on Saturday and found opportu-
nifty to speak TO Polly privately. Polly re-
lated the facts, leaving out her own share in
the results.
"And where was the money foundp
miss Hannah found IL on sWeeninp-dav on
the iloor OF her closet" demurely.
And who put IL there, Polly!h
"Who! Why, she says it must have drop
ped there when she hung up her gown.n
Poor deluded Miss Hannah! How long
since you learned to preyaricate so prettily,
Pollyn ''
81! PrevarIcate! What do you mean, Mr..
Baxteri"