St. Landry democrat., 1884-10-25

I
came on, and flowers grew very scarce
and dear, and Polly was compelled to
raise her prices, the old man looked
very pale and pinched with cold, and
did not move along with his custom
airy alacrity; on the contrary, limped
! painfully at times with the rheumatism
which had seized him.
One very cold Saturday she said to
him, suddenly:
''You amt well?"
''Well, not quite as we'll as I might
be, perhaps" he answered. cautiously.
II don't mind your paying for these
some other time, you know" she
added, hurriedly, ''if''--
eff WHAT" he asked, as she came to
full stop.
IF you're hard up. It won't make
much difference to me; and she might
miss EN-, too
.'Thankee," he said, gently. and he
looked very hard at her from under his
tangled, why eyebrows. ''That's a
kind thought, child. What did you say
! your name wasp?
II didn't say" she answered, sur
prised il her turn, it's Polly Baxter. "
| Living where, now?'
''St. James Row." she answered.
Eat the back there. But why?"
'Good day.
That was tho last time shat Polly
Baxter met Jacob Cattley in the London
streets; for Jacob disappeared again,
and Lombard street and the flower girl
on Ludgate Hill missed him altogether.
''He must be dead this time, poor old
chapn' thought Polly.
But Polly was again deceived. Ons
morning a short, red-faced woman,
with a market basket on her arm and
key in her hand, looked hard at her,
and stopped.
sis your name Baxter?''
Yes
''Polly Baxter?"
''Yes; that's it.
"You're wanted in George street,
Gravel Lane, No. 20. My ledger, the
old man who used to buy flowers OF
you, wants to see you precious BAD
''He amt dead. then!'' cried Polly.
swell, | am glad. y
Don't see what you've got to be
glad about said the woman, sharply.
"But no: he amt dead yet; he's going,
though. "
'.0h! Is hep Oh! hope he ain'tr'
'Can you find your wayp"
''Yes. Trust me for that
Polly Baxter trudged away at once
to George street, and to No. 20, where
on the top floor she found poor Jacob
Cattley, very much down in the world,
and with very little life left in him.
The rheumatics had got an iron grip of
him at last and fever had followed, and
this was very nearly the last of him, as
the red-faced woman had prophesied.
AS Polly entered the room he quite
smiled ut her, as at an old friend.
''Polly." he said, speaking with great
difficulty, II wish to put you in mind
of an old offer to me. =
whats that, sir?''
''I want you to open a credit account
with me. y
"a what?' cried Polly.
Its term we have in Lombard
street" he explained. ITO trust me, /
mean, for little while for few flow
ers.
ITO be sure!" cried Polly.
''1'll pay you soon; and / want you
to do more than that-much more"
Polly waited and wondered till he
took time to recover his breath; then
he added:
II want you ON Sunday afternoon to
take them to her and lay them on her
grave Do you mind very much?''
mot at ALL said Polly. ssI'll go
every Sunday directly after chapel, if
you'll tell me how to find it.
''Oh! you go to chapel, then"
eyes, sir; reg lar.
''Good girl! Keep that up"
'sNo fear, sir.
'.And come and tell me regularly
what they tell gou there, viii you,
child? I should like to know"
10 be sure viii, SIR
when you come back from her.
Then he gave his directions, which
Polly Baxter carried out faithfully, I'M
til the end came, and Jacob Cattley
was buried with his daughter.
After his death, Polly Baxter went
regularly to the cemetery just the same
and laid her little bunch Of flowers on
the grave of him who had said kind
words to her in life. This was the end
of him, and Of the story, she thought,
until one day, a week or two afterward,
a prim listle gentleman in slack called
upon her and asked her many ques-
tions, and made perfectly sure that she
was the genuine and only Polly Baxter,
flower Vender, before he surprised her
with his news.
Jacob Cattley had been bit Of
miser. after all, and had .scraped to-
gether, by his humble and faithful
services in Lombard street, the sum
of one hundred and fifty pounds. He
had died without relation in the world
to care for him, and he had left his
- cr,.,rr Ar. pollrr Tn