St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-12-30

signed. Everybody neZ 1reJS, an IOlks
as hezn't real ones gifts up some out of
their minds, like"
"There's difference ~ grumbled
Polly. 81 often wonder what it would
be like to have all you want and not
have to work"
Aunt Susan laid her worn, rough
hand on the child's bright hair.
II hope sometime you'll find out. l
hain't never. But, arter all, child, we
amt so bad off. We never've had any
troubles we couldn't shut the door on"
CLOVIS that, Aunt Susan ?" said Pol
ly, putting her hand on her pocket and
thinking all of sudden of her stolen
twenty-five cents.
"Why, we've done the best we know
how, so we never had something a-dOg-
gin us up an down, a saying: IF you
only hadn't done this or that"
POlly's dreams were troubled that
night, and blind Aunt Susan heard her
mutter, in her sleep: Cash % Oh!
Cash, if you only hadn't. YOu can't
shut it out" And when, next morn
ing, Polly hurried off an hour before
her usual time, the poor old woman
was certain something dreadful was
about to happen.
1t was IL dark, rainy morning, the
small figure in the faded waterproof
made good time, and there were only IL
few of the clerks in Jetfers & Co.'s
great shop when she entered. The
cashier was doubled up in a queer
heap on his stool quite alone behind
his desk, and Polly walked straight up
to him, her face pale and her eyes very
bright.
''Mr. Voght :" she called, huskily.
"Mr. Voght !"
"Hey What? OH you, % ? What
do you want now ?" he cried, brusque-
ly, scarcely looking at her.
81 want to speak to yOu," faltered
Polly, with trembling lips.
Mr.. Voght peered over his spectacles
and was so surprised he left his mouth
wide open.
"Well," he said, after few minutes,
| hear"
"Here isis the twenty-five cents
too much" And Polly, with great
effort, held out the coin.
The old cashier slipped off his stool
and came close up to her. 81 don't un-
derstand," he said.
"YOu gave it to me yesterday. |
fetched fifty, twentyfour to be took
out. You gave me two quarters and n
cent. This is the one too much" And
Polly laid the money in his hand.
"And you fetched it. back ?" said the
old man, turning the coin over i'll his
palm.
Polly nodded.
"Why ?" he continued, looking her
sharply in the eyes.
"'Cause," said she, very low, indeed.
"Um," grunted Mr.. Noght, rubbing
his nose with his stumpy fOretinger.
"What was you going to get ?"
"Three q them Jac-mOt roses for my
hat"
"And you are how old ?"
"Thirteen."
The old cashier was silent some min
utes. Terrible minutes they were to
Polly. He was going to punish her,
she thought, drive her away, perhaps,
or call Black Maria. At least, he
would scOld her, and, shaking with eX-
citement, she rubbed her feet up and
down crack in the floor, to keep from
falling but his thoughts were far be-
yond the sea, with little faxen-hair-
ed daughter, who long years before he
had laid within a grave, when she was
Just thirteen. Suddenly he spoke up,
so gruffiy Polly jumped.
''Can you darn stockings, % y
Polly stared and was silent.
~ say, can you darn stockings =" he
"Splendid !" said Polly, Frightening
"Aunt Susan showed me, afOre she was
blind and when | was small"
"When you was small ~ echoed Mr.
Voght, measuring her short figure with
his keen gray eyes. "Well, I've no
body to mend mine. | have to myself
or wear holes, and that | hate and
hate to mend. I'll pay You twenty five
cents if you'll do it for me-"
''Oh !" said Polly.
"Will You ?" he cried, GROSSLY.
ooh yes, sir and-and-S
"Run along, 81" he cried, turning
away and climbing on his stool. 81
can't he bothered another minute"
AS the week slipped by, the trouble
of the Browns, who lived in some
rooms above the one occupied by Aunt
Susan and Polly, increased. "TOm'
my's awful bad" was all the poor moth
er said but one of the six little
Browns, who tip-tOed up and down tn,
long stairs or sat i'll silent, wOe-be
gone group on the steps, told Polly
that the doctor had ordered wine, beef
tea, and oranges for Tommy, and his
papa had only money enough to buy
bread. The four dollars week sh,
earned us cash girl scarcely provided
the barest necessities for herself ant
her aunt, and the sorrow of the BrOwn
wrung Polly's heart.
"NOw you can have your roses, %, ,
said Mr.. VOght, as he laid a bright
silver quarter in POlly's hand, after re
ceiving his socks, neatly mended bu
she shook her head gravely, as she hur
ried off, without even glancing at tn,
flowers.
"rve got twenty-five CENTS" sh
said to the fat German who kept liq
, nor store not far away from Jeffers &
Co. 81 want all the wine you can sci
for thirteen cents"
"Mein gut graciOusw cried Hermann
, Rosenblume, leaning his fat hands Ol
his counter and bending forward t.
look ut her. "Vat is it you would bu,
: nit thirteen cents 7"
t "Wine ~ said Polly, sharply. "Win
E for Tommy Brown. He's got the diph
. thery, and he's got to have wine an,
beef-tea and oranges, to get him well
' the doctor says. Tve only got a quar-
! ter, so want to buy all the wine ca
| for thirteen cents"
E can Tommy iss your brudderq"
a "Oh ! no." explained Polly. "Aun
a Susan and me live in the same hOus,
t The Browns are awful poor. | wor
. | Lot g. N
I "Just so. De leetle ones nit caps.
L. Il l.. L. L