The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1882-04-22
POLLY GARDNER AND THE DRAW.
BRIDGE.
BY JULIA K. HrLDRETH.

tion with Aunt Mary in the country. She
would have been perfectly happy but that
her father and mother were obliged to remain
/ in the city. It was five weeks since she had
seen them, and it seemed to Polly like fre
| months.
One lovely afternoon Polly sat on the horse
block idly kicking one foot backward and for
ward, watching Aunt Mary as she drove off on
| visit to sick neighbor. The birds were
singing, bees were humming, and the slender
branches of the great gray-green willows that
shadowed the road moved softly with every
/ light puff of wind. Away off in the field over
| the hills Polly could hear the ring of the NOW
ers' scythes. Everything was so pleasant and
peaceful that she wished her parents were there
to enjoy it with her.
| Just as Aunt Mary was hidden from sight by
bend in the road. she heard the crunching of
wheels in the opposite direction, and, on look
ing up, found it was another wagon, driven
| by Mr.. Ward, the grocer and postman of Will
low Grove. He checked his horse at the gate,
and began fumbling slowly in his coat pocket
| for something.
| After considerable searching he drew out
| white envelope, and turning it first one way
| feeling in his pockets again, brought forth his
| spectacles adjusted them carefully upon his
| nose, and once more began examining the let
| ter. At last he read in loud voice:
"'Miss Polly Gardner. in care OF Mrs. Mary
| West, Willow Grove. In haste" Then he
| peeped over his glasses severely at Polly and
asked sharply, who's Miss Polly Gardner?
Do you know, little girl2'
sOh, that's mel' cried Polly, jumping from
the horse block, "and Mrs. Mary West is aunty,
Please give me my letter. 1t is from mamma.
am SO gladl"
"Can you read?'' asked Mr. Ward, he still
holding the letter far above Polly's reach.
eyes, of course can," cried Polly, indig-
nantly. 81 am nine years old next week.
WELL well, Miss Polly Gardner, here's your
letter. But If your mar hadn't put In haste
on the outside of it, you would have had to
come and fetch yourself" said Mr.. Ward, as he
handed the letter down to Polly.
''Thank you ever much, " said Polly, tear
ing her letter open ne vously. After reading it
once she said, "Ohl' in delighted voice.
Nothing the matter" inquired Mr.. Ward,
who still sa looking at Polly.
mo; but mother and father are coming to-
day, if this is the Oath of August
''Yes, it's tine Oath of August. But let's see
your letter, and I can tell you what they
mean."
Polly handedeher letter back to Mr.. Ward,
who read it aloud slowly:
".DEAREsT PoLLY.-Papa finds that he can leave
his business for short time, we have concluded
to spend the remainder of your vacation with you
Willow Grove ut 80 p M, on the oath. Tell aunt
Mary to meet us if she has the time.
"'Love to all. and thousand kisses from
IS MAMMA AND Papa
sWell,'' said Mr.. Ward, as he gave Polly
back her letter, ssthey'll be here in about q
half-hour, for it's almost four now I guess
I'll be moving; it's time / was back to the
| store So he chirped to his horse, and then
turned the wagon, and was soon out of sight.
AS aunt Mary would not return before five
O'Clock, Polly determined to walk down to the
railroad station, and meet her father and moth
er alone. She had often been there with aunt
Mary to watch the trains come and go. 1t was
| o small station, and very few people stopped
| there.
Just before reaching the station the railroad
| crossed a draw-bridge. Polly liked to watch
| the men open and shut the draw as the boats in
| the river passed through. There was foot
path over this bridge, and Polly had once cross
ed it with aunt Mary. They had stopped to
| speak to the fagman, who was pleasant and
| good-natured. He told Polly where she could
| find some beautiful white lilies in a pond not
| far away. That more than week ago,
and the flowers were not then open, and now
| as Polly ran down the road, she thought she
would have time to gather some for her par
| ents before the train arrived.
When Polly reached the station she found
no one there, and on looking at the clock, saw
that it was only ten minutes past four, SO she
/ had twenty minutes to wait. Then she ran on
! quickly.
/ The iagman stood by the draw, and Polly
saw, some distance down the river, a small
vessel coming toward the bri ige. She ran
along rapidly, and as she passed the fagman
| he called out:
"Going for the pond lilies? The pond was
! all white with them when went by this mora
ing
''Yes, sir; I want to pick some for mamma
and papa. They wrote me letter and said
they were coming in the next train
"You don't say so! Well, guess you're
/ glad. Look out for the locomotive, and don't
take too long picking your flowers, and you'll
have plenty of time to get back before the
| train comes in.
Polly thanked him and ran on. In about
| five minutes she reached the pond. How lovely
| the lilies looked, with their snowy cups resting
upon the dark water! But their stems were
long and tough, and most of them grew far be-
yond her reach. She contrived to secure four
| Polly was sorry to leave so many behind but
was afraid if she fingered too long she would
miss the train. So, gathering up the blossoms,
| she pinned them into her belt, and scampered
back toward the bridge.
The boat had just sailed through the draw
| and the man stood ready to close the bridge
when Polly came up. He looked over at her
from the center of the bridge, and called out
with q smile:
l
| these? II had time to go to the pond you
should have IS many as you could carry.
/ Polly smiled back at him, and then began
to watch him as he made ready to turn the.
great bridge back into place for the train to
pass over. His hand was already on the crank,
when a rope dangling over the railing of the
| bridge attracted his attention. AS he tried to
pull it in it seemed to be caught underneath
Polly watched him lean over to get better
hold, when. to her great horror, the piece Of
railing to which he held gave way.
There was sudden scream, and a great
| splash in the water. But before the waves of
| the swiftly flowing river closed over him, Polly
heard the cry.
1.-The traini-the fagi"
Poor little Polly! She was 80 alarmed for
the poor mans safety that for some moments
she could think of nothing else and ran back
ward and forward wringing her hands in de-
spair. AS he rose to the surface she saw that
he made frantic gestures to her, and pointed
up the road from which the train was to come.
| He seemed to be able to keep himself above
the water with very little effort, and Polly saw
| with JOY that the accident had been observed
by the occupants of the vessel The man in
the water struck out toward the boat, and
Polly could hear shouts and cheers from the
men on board.
All at once she was startled by the far off
| whistle of the approaching locomotive. In q
moment she understood the meaning of the
| fRgman's gestures. She looked at the open
space and then at the bridge. In five minut tes
or less the train would come dashing into the
terrible chasm. Polly's hair almost rose on
her head with horror. It was as much as she
could do nov to keep her senses.
There must be some way to avert the awful
calamity. She ran swiftly along toward the
rapidly approaching train. Lying on the
ground just by the small wooden house where
the fagman generally sat, Polly saw red flag.
She remembered having heard that this flag
was used in cases of danger, when there was