The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-10-04
POLLY.
BY NJ. C. FARLEY.

Polly was my bosom friend. To-
gether we stood behind the long coun-
ters of Sellem, Cheetem & Co., and
measured off dry goods to the various
customers who patronized that cele-
brated firm. Together we spent our
hunting in the wilds of Wisconsin and,
being almost zone and inseparable," we
would both have made love to the same
girl but for the fact that l had most
ungovernable and unconquerable hatred
Tor the other sex, being, in this isolated
exception, the exact opposite to Polly,
who dotted on girls, and was noted for
his gallantry. Indeed, it was his ex-
treme susceptibility to the wiles of the
fair sex that had saddled him with
his sobriquet; for Polly, mind you,
wasn't his real name at all. no more
than it was mine. He had been duly
christened Paul. after the apostle; and
his paternal grandfather added two or
three surnames beside but, never
theless, when he took up his place be-
hind the counter in the store, and then
and there began TO lavish his smiles
ladies, we soon shortened his name
down TO "Polly"-and so Polly he was
called.
It's of no use to say how he soon
monopolized all the trade from lady
customers There he was, always at
tentive, always polite, his cheeks as
pink as a girls, and his hands as white
as the whitest. 1t seemed as if per-
rennial smile lowered round his lips,
which were parted just enough to show
his pretty teeth, and you could even
smell the faint-sweet perfume of hello
trope, that he scented his handkerchief
with, as he walked along behind the
counter.
But there was no end to his flirtations
He had more strings to his bow than /
could shake a stick at" in a week, as
the saying is.
L gave him some good, fatherly adj
vice several times, but he only shook
back his curly-brown locks, and said he
Guessed he could stand it a while yet.
But | was older than Polly, and /
knew that the first thing he would do
some time would be to get entangled
In foolish engagement of some sort
and, sure enough, his time actually
came, and sooner than / had expected.
But just then | was suddenly called
home by the serious illness of a sister,
and, In watching at her bedside, and
occupied for some weeks after her
death in settling up her business affairs,
all lesser matters were passed over,
until one morning l was surprised at
getting telegram from Polly an
.nonncing his marriage.
A letter came day or so after, in
which Polly explained the reason of his
rather hasty action.
~You see Old Pap" writes he-Polly al
ways called me Pap. though my name is
really Peter, Il was OBJ ICED to marry,
Annie, Just when did, or else another fell
low would. SO rushed in ahead and came
.o8 with the spoils The fact is, that old
NrOwn-he's go years old if day, and he can
count 81 ,0O0 for every year of his age-had
laid his heart, hand and pocket-book, and
more especially the pocket-book, at Annie's
feet. And Annie pa favored Browns offer,
you see. So | stood no show at all with the
old folks, and the very deuce was to pay all
around
There was only one thing we could do
under the circumstances, for Annie wasn't
of age-so we did it She met me one even
ing at the corner of the street, and took
her in buggy lust out of the city piece,
and we went down TO Hickory Grove-my
old dad place, you know. The clergyman
knew me and he thought it was all right,
though he did think Annie looked very
young, and he asked her how old she was.
She told him she was going on ~, which
was true you know, for she had that mum
Der in her shoes. So if she wasn't going
on 10" what was she going on? Anything TO
beat the old folks. But you should see
Brown he's tearing mad. and Annies pa
actua ~ made face at Inc when met him
TO day.
We are staying at Hickory Grove now
It's fine old place if it does belong to my
father and / want you to pack your trunk
and come right away. We III have fly time
going a-nuttng. The woods are full of 'em.
SO don't stop to write, but come down.
Yours in haste,
j was tired and sick, being worn
down with watching and care, and, as /
was on the point of returning to the
city anyway, determined to run down
first to Hickory Grove and make my
friend short visit As visions of leaf
strewn woods rose up before my mental
vision, / half-packed the big Saratoga
that usually accompanied my wander
mgs But, rejecting that the newly
married pair was in the first flush of
their honeymoon, 1 settled down to a
modest grip, that at best would hold
only change of linen. When the
train rushed into the little station at
H. who should L see but Polly,
looking as fresh as daisy, the same
old smile parting his. cherry lips, and
the same white hands waving welcome
at me through the car-window.
"And so you're went and gone and
ayes; to be sure" broke in Polly,
squeezing my hand affectionately,
lawfully glad to see you; where's your
luggage"
ooh" said /, feeling little ashamed
now of the diminutive grip-sack that
held my belongings. Il didn't fetch