The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1881-03-17
POLLY.

All their lives they had lived in Still
borough, Mrs. Cranstone and her daugh-
ter Mary Anne-called for short, Polly
and, ever since she was old enough
Polly had helped her widowed mother
in the little Berlin wool and stationery
business that produced them bare liv-
ing, rather TO Polly's discomfort, for she
would fain have been able TO dress
smartly, and see more of the world
than SilllborOugh was able to show her.
But Polly was q good girl at heart, if
q little vain and discontented with her
lot, and she was better OH than some
girls, too, for she had a lover. Richard
Desnpster, clerk i'm the Stillborough
bank. who lodged with his mother-al-
so Il widOw-in the upper rooms of Mrs
Cranstone's house.
One evening, Mrs. Cranstone and her
daughter sa; in the little parlor behind
the shop taking tea. 1t was IL frosty
winter night, and the brown teapot was
kept on the hob that it might not chill.
So was the plate of sausage, which tast-
ed all the more crisp and savOry in con-
sequence. The door between the shop
and the room stood open that any
chance customer might be seen at once
by the tea drinkers, but the bell had
not iingled since they took their seats.
Trade is dreadful said Mrs. Gran
stone, transferring sausage to her
plate by means of the long cooking
fork-..trade is dreadful! 1 should just
give it up if it got little worse; but,
dear me, | never had any luck in any
thing. Another cup, PollyP What a.
comfort tea is, to be surer'
'.Tlien give me a cup, won't you, Mrs.
Cranstone?n said voice behind them.
II want comfort, I'm sure Here's my
mother gone out, and forgot to leave
the key, and nothing for me to do but
to sit on the stairs and cool my heels"
'tDick! Ia! how you scared me COM
ing in SO sudden" screamed Mary
Anne.
..Sit down, do,'' said Mrs. Cranstone
t'Take your seat, Dick, and have your
supper with us. Your mother stepped
in to tell me she wouldn't be back until
late, and the key is in the till
''About all there is there, too," said
Mary Anne, with a pout, land want
new winter jacket"
Look here, Mrs. Cranstone," said
the young man, slowly turning himself
toward the young lady. "Look here,
ma am; here's someone ready and will
ling to buy that winter jacket and all
the other things Polly will ever want.
We've been engaged year now, and
at last I've got rise in my salary.
Why should we put it off any longer?
Tell Polly that it's all nonsense. She
won't listen to me-"
"Well, 1 don't think long engage
ments are best" said Mrs. Cranstone.
'.What should say to Polly would be,
Have him now"
..Oh, well! suppose shall be both
cred until l do say yes" replied Mary
Anne; and then the anxious lover, plead
ing his cause earnestly, the wedding
day was actually fixed for Christmas
Eve, which was at that time about q
month off.
This conversation, as well as the even
meal being over, Mrs. Cranstone dis
cretely retired to thesshop, and left the
lovers alone. However, she did not
stay away long. In a few moments
she came running in with her glasses
on her nose, and an open letter in her
hand.
..Read this, one of you," she said.
''Tve read it, but / can't believe un-
derstand it. 1t seems as if l must be
crazy. Here, you read 1T, Dick, have
more confidence in YOU"
Then she put the letter into his hand,
and sat down at the table.
81 found it on the counter" said she.
''The postman .must have thrown it
there don't know whether it's hoax
or not, but it's got a regular stamp on,
an all. My gracious, how queer l
feel"
Meanwhile Dick solemnlY placed the
sheet of paper before him, read it
through, and turned back TO the first
line.
..It isn't hoax" said he. "It's
regular lawyers letter. and what it tells
you is that your old uncle, James Gran
stone, of Mincing Lane, London, is
dead, and you are his heiress to the
tune of twenty thousand pounds"
'.Pinch me! Polly" cried Mrs. Gran
stone. Il mean it. dear; and if 1 don't
wake up, I'll think it true"
'4Oh, psha! ma! It's true enough"
cried Mary Anne. '.How lucky! When
are we to have the money? Oh, isn't
it delightfully."-
But Dick gave little sigh.
Mrs. Cranstone," he said, "maybe
you think poor clerk not rich enough
or fine enough for your daughter, now