The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1881-05-05

1rmLsBOBOUGm. OHIO.
THURSDAY, MAY 5, 1881.
POLLY

All their lives they had lived in Still
borough, Mrs. Cranstone and her daugl
ter Mary Anne-called for short, Poll
and, ever since she was old enOup
| Polly had helped her widowed mothe
in the little Berlin wool and stationer
/ business that produced them bare liz
ing, rather to Polly's discomfort, for sh
would fain have been able to dres
smartly, and see more of the wOrl
than StillbOrOugh was able to show heI
But Polly was a good girl at heart,
little vain and discontented with he
lot, and she was better off than som
| girls, too, for she had q lover, Richar
Dempster, clerk in the Sdllboroug
bank. who lodged with his mother-al
so a widOW-in the upper rooms Of Mrs
CranstOne's house.
One evening, Mrs. CranstOne and he
daughter sat in the little parIOr benin
the shop taking tea. It was q frost
winter night, and the brown teapot wa
kept on the hob that it might not chill
So was the plate Of sausage which tast
ed all the more crisp and savOryin con
sequence. The door between the shoI
chance customer might be seen at one
by the tea drinkers, but the bell hat
not 1ngIed since they took their seats
''Trade is dreadful" said Mrs. Gran.
stone, transferring q sausage to hel
plate by means of the long cooking.
fork trade is dreadful! I should Just
give it up if it got a little worse; but
dear me, I never had any luck in any
thing. Another cup, Polly? What &
comfort tea is, to be surep'
''Then give me cup, won't you, Mrs.
CTanstone?" said a voice behind them.
81 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. u
''Dick! Ia! how you scared me com
ing in SO sudden" screamed Mary
Anne.
"Sit down, do, said Mrs. Cranstone.
''Take your seat, Dick, and have youI
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 pout, land want a
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 q year now, and
at last I've got a 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"
''Wull, I don't think long engage
ments are best, said Mrs CranstOne.
"What I should say to Polly would be,
Have him now "
''Oh, well! L supposed shall be both
cred until 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 a
month off.
This conversation, rs well as the even
meal being over, Mrs. CranstOne dis
cretely retired to the shop, 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.
GIVE read il, but I can't believe I un-
derstand it. 1t seems rs if 1 must be
crazy. Here, you read it, Dick, have
more confidence in you"
Then she put the letter into his hand,
and sat down ut the table.
Il found it on the counter, - said she.
''The postman must have thrown it
there. Idon' know whether it's q hoax
or not, but it's got regular stamp on,
an all. My gracious, how queer I
feel"
Meanwhile Dick solemnly placed the
sheet of paper before him, read it
through, and turned back to the first
line.
'It isn't a hoax" said he. 'Its a
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 don't
wake up, Tll think it's true"
''Oh, psha! ma! It's true enough, ,"
cried Mary Anne. ''HOw lucky! When
are we to have the money? Oh, isn't
it delightful?''
But Dick gave q little SIGH.
Mrs. Cranstone," ," he said, "maybe
you think a poor clerk not rich enough
or fine enough for your daughter, now
you are as well off as that. If so, say
so out and out, and III bear it as well
as I can"
''Why, Dick, if I was q queen, I'd
think you good son-in-Iaw, - said Mrs.
'And you, Polly?' said Dick.
81 shall wait until I get my diamonds
on before I take airs" said his lady
love.
Nevertheless the fortune made a
change in the programme. 1t was nee
essary for Mrs. Cranstone to 90 to Lon
don, and Mary Anne must go with her,
she said; and, on the whole, it seemed
best to postpone the wedding for
awhile.
cit wouldn't be respectful to Uncle
James to marry immediately" said the
mother.
So Dick had the unhappiness Of see
ing his lady-loye leave StillbOrough'
and went back.tO his desk at the bank
with very heavy heart.
However, he worked hard, and many
letters cOmforted him; and at last his
fancee returned gorgeous in the last
London fashions; and there was all the
hustle of buying a new house, furnish
ing it, and taking possession Of it-and
very little time for lovers to be to-
gether.
''You see," said Mrs. Cranstone, to
Dick, you see POlly-I mean Marian
that S what we've got to call her now,
are so vulgar, she says, and
Mary Anne sounds so common-Marian
is Just a little set up with our change of
fortune. She'll settle down after awhile;
but young people will be young people,
you know"
At home Dick got less comfort.
''PolIy feels her money; she shows
II" said his mother. ''And the place
is too fine for me, and the servants
stare too much. Sarah CranstOne is
woman, but Polly isn't much
to. depend on. You'll find that out,
And poor Dick did find it out.
You see, Mr.. Dempster," " said Polly,
4 L. IL, ,-s1v, T., ], Il