Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-04-09

he was alluding for, though she started, she
rose without word, and, with steady fingers
laid the shiilings side by side along the man
tel-shelf nineteen shillngs' she said
slowly, 'and the sixpence."
1T seems hardly worth while to leave the
sixpence there, said Dick, in hurried whis-
| per, docs it Polly? If it were ours"
'lf it were ours, said Polly, with bright
ening eyes, we'd have good dinner to-
morrow, Dick and not cheap bread and we'd
give baby milk without water in it,"
And il it were all ours!" said Dick, still
speaking softly.
"If it were all ours" interrupted Polly,
with strange look darkenng over her face,
I'VE would be happy, Dickie, wouldn't we /?
Something to eat for whole month-till
Chrstmas-and something over"
"Oh, every thing" said Dick. polly
and he dropped his voice until she had to
s,oop to listen" couldn't we just -b)rrow it,
you know, for month or so? II il were
ours" And his little childish hand stole
out and touched the first shilling on the shelf
Polly had been sitting as one in dream,
but at the touch she seemed to awaken The
new dark look that had been creeping over
her face changed and frightened as she
| jumped up and put Dicks hand somewhat
roughly aside. "LJit were ours, we'd spend
] H. DlChs hut hulu bul us IL Is, we u lOhl
keep il safe till we see her"
But if we never see her - said Dick,
whimpering and half frightened.
Never mind that" said Polly, decidedly
'f the worst comes, Dick, and we have
nothing, why, there's always the House"
But a work house" objected Dick.
"Well, we have to work anyway" said
| Polly, with practical common "and we
may as well work in a house as not-thnt's
my joke, Dick"
Dick laughed, as he always felt bound in
honor to do at Polly's jokes and, half an
hour afterward, he was lying fast asleep,
with long lashes shading the wistful eyes, aud
the money quite forgotten but Polly, re-
membering the temptation, kept the shllhngs
always in her pocket for the future, and went
to bed that night with one other trouble add
ed to her careful life
But they did not come to the House,
after all, for when the children had gone to
bed thut night Mrs. OFlaunighan held
council of two in her room, and decided that
she could work with an easier mind by day if
Polly were there TO tend Billy bit, and give
him what he needed.
80 I'll pay the rent of the ROOM Mrs.
O'Flannghan said, and don't doubt theyn
| pick up enough to get along for the winter :"
for Mrs O'Flannghan was looked upon as IL
moneycd woman in Groves alley.
SO it Glanced that morning after morning,
! when Dick had gone out with his backing
box to earn the daily bread. Polly would 20
singing down stairs with the baby TO bright
en- Billys room with her patient CHEEKY
ways and pleasant face, as she had bright
ened her own home and Billy caught the
infection, and grew to wonder how he had
ever thought the days long or the pain in his
back too terrible to bear. for Polly could
show him so many ways of making the time
pass She could make baskets out of nuts,
and mice out Of apple pips she could sing
and chatter while she worked about and.
best of ALL when the sunshine died out and
her work was over, she could pin up corner
of the blind, Just to show the red light
over the gloomy alley, and sat holding his
feverish hand in hers, telling him beautiful
stories, with the quiet baby on her lap only
sometimes she had to stop when she coughed
she had grown to cough good deal lately
and then they would all sit quite quiet un-
til Mr.. OFlannighan came busting in, or
Dickie's whistle sounded on the stairs, and
Polly had to run out and spend the pennies
he had earned
shes not bud child, Mrs O'Flannighan
said to Billy, as she stood one evening watch
ing the slight figure toing YEARLY up stairs
with the baby-'better than most fancy"
why, mother" said Billy, flushing at the
faint praise, she's more than that-she's
beautiful"
They were IL good lot always" went on
the woman, standing by the window, with
her rough arms crossed. The mother was
likely woman-but fine
How fine ?" asked little Billy, sitting up
in bed and listening attentively.
"Ob, they thought a deal Of themselves
for they'd come down in the world the
Markers; but they were quiet folk, and when
they got poor and i'll we were al sorry for
them, and helped them on bit. Good qui.
ct creatures, but too fine for Groves alley"
But Polly's not fine" said Billy, with
sob in his voice
mo, not fine, but too good for Groves al.
ley all the same-one Of the kind that's
above the earth by long way"
But she's been on tie earth such a little
while, said Billy, earnestly; they wouldn't
take her away yet. You've been longer.
mother, and doubt you're tired but Polly "A
never want to get to Heaven before me-"
Good gracious me, child" said Mrs.
OFlannighan, brusquely, ''and what's wish
ing got to do with it, l wonder? Polly
Marker may be fit for heaven now, or she
may have as many years rs I've had to live
out first but mark my words, Billy O'Flan-
nighan, that, with that cough of hers, and
her half starving herself for the little childer
she'll be laid up before the winters out"
as true as a prophecy for when the cold win
ter sun rose next morning over Groves alley
1t was Dick who was ping shiverng
about to build up the little fire and make the
tea while Polly lay white and sick upon the
bed with her heavy eyes closed.
"Do you feel any better :" Dickie asked
every two or three minutes and Polly tried
to open her eyes and smile, but she looked
so white and still that Dickic grew frightened
- NJ
sat up in bed, as she did by-and-by. with a
red spot on either cheek and began talking
rapidly and moving her hands about. Dickie
and baby sat staring at her, and some of the
neghbors, attracted by the noise, looked in
and gave her water and smoothed the bed
and went away looking very grave but in
the twilight Mrs. O'Flannighan came home
from her days work, and when she learned
from Billy that Polly was ILL., she went hur-
riedly up to the childrens garret to see what
was the matter Dickie had made tea and
was pouring it out for baby and himself in
the fast fading light of the window they
were sitting in shadow and he was talking
softly to the baby as he handed him his little
mug but a bit of the blind WAS drawn aside
80 that shaft of red light lay across the un-
comfortable bed and Polly's fevcrsh hands
that were plucking at the coverlet, and across
the eager, restless face.
Mrs D OtAnnighan put up rough hand
for n minute TO her eyes, then without a
word, she went over to the bed, and, sitting
down, drew the uneasy head on to her shoul-
der and let it rest there and poor Polly, see
ing something familiar in the face bending
over her, cried out "Why, mother" in q sud
den, pleading way. With that her voice
broke into sobs, and she cried as she had new
er had time to cry Ance her mother died
"What has she had to eat to-day ?" Mrs
O'Flannighan asked of the children who had
crept closer to her when Polly began to cry
"Why, nothing" said Dickie, "only some
cold tea. She wasn't hungry in the morning,
she said, and this afternoon she's been queer
kind of laughing aud crying, like-so we
just PLAYED about, baby and me, and didn't