The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-07-07
PoLLY,s BURGLAR.

Z
P0LLY'S BURGLAR.
Gray and ice-cold the twilight had
darkened over thes Stone Rover, until
the ruddy glow of fthe are becameiinsuf-
ficient to dispel the creeping shadows,
and Mamie brought in the lamp. -
1t was y great, iow-ceildd room, with
an antiquc-carved cornice and wainscot
of oak which reached above Mamie $
shoulder room where the faded crim-
son hangings shut out the dying day
light, and the pattern of the carpet had
long become indistinguishahle. a sss t@s
And the three bloomiags bright-eyed
young girls in this ancient room seemed
as much out of their element as cluster
of rosebnds would .hayebeen lying ON an
Egyptian sarcophagus-
Buts Colonel Copely liked sseelHsion
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
There's one thing" Colonel Copely.
who was Il man-hater. added to himself
they'll get no heauxa herel No girl
ought to ozdream. OF a beau until she. is
twenty-five years old, at'the very leastn -
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; lrttl an Imaginary
ideal in her brains with dark, melancholy
eyes and brow Ike ivory, which She
hoped one day might be realized in a
suitor. ~ - A. -
And upon this windy March night,
when Colonel Copely was in. the city,
and AIiss Baird fhe governess, was con
fined to her room with an attack Of i'm
flammatory rheumatism, Amy and Nan
ME were going TO q surreptitious, parts
''Of course papa wouldn't let us go if
he were at home. said Amy a -
''And we couldn't manage it if Miss
Baird Epsft laid e,ps either" sageG
.But evefythhihng happens for the
best" said. Amy. s.Do look, at this
lovely, gold-colored silk. Nan. Wasn't
it good of Mary Sinclair to lend us the
three dresses 9to choose froma j think
rll'wear tlre goldscoloredzsilk. with this
black lace MANTLE"
And T., SAID Mamie. who was pink
and plump, With china bhies ewes and
radiant. brouze-brown hair. s.shall wear
the.white.s all brocaded over with pink
rose-buds, and the rose-colored satin
slippers O, Amy, darling -pouncing
upon her sister with a little, ecstatic
kiss--'swc shan't know ourseIvesi" I
"Ceulcln't 20, tooe" pleaded Polly,
whose gypsy beauty cleaned in between
the apple-bl faces of her sisters like
aJacqueniinot rose amongswhite moss
pink. Couldn't / wear the pretty gar
net silk that .you've neither of you
chssen?''
;NonsepssE' e cried lany-s You are
Il shall be sixteen in nine months, y
urged Polly 'sArd I'm almost as tail
as you and 'Nannfe And never, nevsr
was at a grownt6p party in my iifer' :
Polly said Mamie, with autocratics
severity. ''hold your tonguei It's quite
out bfsths question You are to stay
here, with. Miss Baird. .-7<ss
but Miss Baird is always asleep in
the eveningsr' whiinpered Polly. Fig
80, much the better for .you," pro-
the house.,' - 'as' sesaUssTa ,ssss 4
HThe house won run away,p pouted
Polly, stin reheliious 7e's s5-s' q
"That isn't the question under discuss
sion," said Amy. sect the work basket
now. like darling, and help us tuck up
these dresses little, for Mary Sinclair
is at least hall q head taller thanwe are.
And there is no time to lose lsA AkA&@
Polly drew ,a'deep sigh .and-obeyed. 3
s'Why was it,n she argued within hers
sell. 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 If ever she was a grown-up
young lady, she'd show themrs
But Polly got a little better snatured
when she was allowed to make waffles
her ownself for. tea, in the absence of
Mkuy,ffliza, stheil< <soleS domestic, ,<syhose
brother had bethought himself to fall ill
Of feyer- half a mile or SO up the monn-
tain, at this auspicious time, of all
others, and TO select aTjar 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 tea-rose buds in
her sisters hair. and gave the last dainty
touch to their dressesGPolly was a born
lady's-nnaid, the girls declared, laughing
and looked regretfully after them, as,
withther splenlidr allshro,aded in black
serge sicloakS. they hhrried down the
frozen road, two merry, heeting shad-
ows-
40, dear. OH dear, said Polly, aloud,
chow wishI was going, toor'
t, And she winked the tears down. and
ran back. into the wainscoted room
wherethe lamp Still glowed and the
logs blazed and snapped on the hearth
90 hurriedly that she never once re-
n1embe red Amy s. farewell caution as te
the locking and double-locking of the
iiiF HaEdMasasksp, f after Ser sapps, i.
ann he'd heaiciile.S lhere vas 10 use
going 10 her for companionship, for She
snored and slept~with- her mouth open
and was not in tina ileast an ideal slum-
berer. raAnd the 'kitchensvas very lone
some without Mary Eliza, and even the
cot was TOO rirovsy tovpprr, or frole
with q ball Of knitting yarn. s8t
st'What shall T. tioP' said Polly.s 40,
know Ill try-on the garnet silk dress
andfsneyz I'm : grpssn-qp> s5uagl aQy
xxoiro~ n, q bol1rf - - :