The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1882-07-29
POLLY,s BURGLAR.


the ruddy glow of the fire became insult
ficient to dispel the creeping shadows,
and Mamie brought in the lamp.
1t was great, low-ceiled room. with
an antique-carved cornice and wainscot
of oak which reached above Nannie's
shoulder room where the faded GRIM
son hangings shut out the dying day
light, and the pattern of the carpet had
long become indistinguishable.
And the three blooming, bright-eyed
young girls in this ancient room seemed
as much out of their element as cluster
of rosebuds would have been lying on an
Egyptian sarcophagus.
But Colonel Copely liked seclusion
and antiquity. Moreover, he liked econ
.omy. And when he brought his three
motherless daughters down to The Stone
Tower, he grimly gave them to under
stand that they too must teach them
selves to like these three aspects of life.
3 There's one thing" Colonel Copely,
who was man-hater, added to himself,
'.they'n get no beaux here! No girl
ought to dream of beau until she is
twenty-five years old, at the very least"
Which was rather hard on Amy and
Mamie, who were nineteen and seven
teen, and had their pretty heads full of
vague visions of love and lovers. And
even little Polly, the youngest, who had
barely turned fifteen, had an imaginary
ideal in her brain, with dark, melancholy
eyes and brow like ivory, which she
hoped one day might be realized in q
sutton.
And upon this windy March night,
when Colonel Copely was in the city,
and Miss Baird, the governess, was con-
fined to her room with an attack of in
fammatory rheumatism, Amy and Nan
ME were going to a surreptitious party.
s'Of course papa wouldn't let us 60 if
he were at home, said Amy.
''And we couldn't manage it if Miss
Baird wasn't laid up, either" sagely
added Mamie.
..But everything happens for the
best" said Amy. "Do look at this
lovely, gold-colored silk, Nan. Wasn't
it good of Mary Sinclair to lend us the
three dresses to choose fromP 1 think
I'll wear the gold-colored silk. with this
black lace MANTLE"
ssAnd ~ said Mamie, who was pink
and plump, with china-blue eyes and
radiant, bronze-brown hair, ssshall wear
the white, all brocaded over with pink
rose-buds, and the rose-colored satin
slippers. 0, Amy, darling'-pouncing
upon her sister with little, ecstatic
kiss-''we shan't know ourselvesr'
''Couldn't I go, too?" pleaded Polly,
whose gypsy beauty cleaned in between
the apple-bloom faces Of her sisters like
Jacqueminot rose among white moss
pink. Couldn't l wear the pretty gar
net silk that you've neither, Of you
chosen?n
..Nonsenser' cried Amy. "You are
only childr'
II shall be sixteen in nine months"
urged Polly. ..And I'm almost as tall
as you and Mamie. And l never, neuer
was at grown-up party in my lifep'
Polly" said Mamie, with autocratic
severity, '.hold your tongue! It's quite
out of the question. You are to stay
here, with Miss Baird"
"But Miss Baird is always asleep in
the evenings'' whimpered Polly.
$50 much the better for you," pro-
nounced Mamie. sand to look after
the house."
The house won't run away" pouted
Polly, still rebellious.
That isn't the question under discus
sion," said Amy. sect the work-basket
now. like a darling, and help us tuck up
these dresses little, for Mary Sinclair
is at least half head taller than we are.
And there is no time to loser'
Polly drew deep sigh and obeyed.
''Why was il" she argued within her.
self, ''that she must always be put down
and snubbed, and kept in the back
ground, because she was the Youngest.
and wore short frocks and her hair
braided in two Chinese tails down her
back. II ever she was q grown-up
young lady, she'd show themrf
But Polly got . little better natured
when she was allowed to make waf1es
her ownself for tea, in the absence of
Mary Eliza, their sole domestic, whose
brother had bethought himself to fall i'll
OF fever, half mile or so up the monn-
tain, at this suspicious time, Of all
others. and to select jar of raspberry
jam, by way of accompaniment.
For Polly, tall though she was, had not
quite outgrown the age of teasets and
delight in playing at housekeeping.
And she arranged the tearrose buds in
her sisters hair, and gave the last dainty
touch to their dresses-Polly was born
ladys-maid, the girls declared, laughing
-and looked regretfully after them, Is,
with their splendor all shrouded in black
serge cloaks. they hurried down the
frozen road, two merry, fieeting shad-
ows.
20. dear. oh. dear, said Polly, aloud,
show wish was going. toor'
And she winked the tears down, and