The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-10-02

Jacob was missing; and no one knew
where Jacob lived, so that the mystery
OF his disappearance might have been
solved by friendly call.
Hes dead, for sixpcnce, poor old
cove!" said the junior clerk, a pert and
siangy and over-dressed youth, whom
Jacob had in his heart disliked, DESPITE
the Offering of a penny now and then.
He of, depend upon it. Pm sorry |
was hard on him last week.
Foly Baxter wondered more about
him than the rest of the community
aware of his existence. She did not
know why she should "bother about the
old man. but she did. He was a
something removed from her life. a
regular customer gone; and that was to
pc regretted when regular cust toners
were scarce. When she had bought
| her flowers at Covent Garden Market
IN the early morning, and had taken
them TO the little attic where she made
up her penny punches for the day. she
caught herself thinking of the funny
little man, and of his grave, old-fash-
toned ways. She had had a father like
him once In some respects, and he had
/ died IN the WorkhOuse, praying that she
would keep good which she had.
| Polly was poor, ignorant girl enough.
| who had never been taught to read and
/ write, and her father had been :. a bad
lot. =" as it was termed, and had not
cared to see her taught, or cared much
about anything save himself, until he
! had become a martyr to rheumatism
and had lost his situation in the mar
ket, and had to go finally into the
| house, leaving bis daughter with ell the
world to herself and nobody in it to
look after her. Then the father was
sorry and woke up to some little |
thought of his mOtherless girl, when he |
could do little else but think He was |
one more of the big army of plodders |
who march under the banner of Too |
late"
Nevertheless, Polly Baxter earned /
her own living honestly, and made the
best of her position by thrift and IN
dustry, coming very close to starvation
once or twice in the hard times which
viii turn up to the hard workers. Still
she fought on. and had begun to teach
herself to read and write of late DAYS,
and to find her way on Sundays to a
little chapel down a back street, and
listen with much surprise to what they
told her there, and wonder why it had
been kept from her all these wears, and
why no one in the highways and
byways of her life had said a word
about it.
Possibly thinking of this had made
her think of other folk as the light fill
tered little through the darkness of
Polly Bakers life; but she did think a
great deal of the poor. old-fasbioped
little man, who seemed to have van
lshed like ghost, and it became a ]
matter of speculation why he had ever I
bought flowers of her at all being a |
man who probably had not much to :
spend on the minor luxuries of life.
And SO regular a customer, too, !
thought Polly, with a sigh again.
Suddenly the regular customer, how
ever, appeared again one Saturday, six .
weeks or two months after everybody
thought he was dead It was like =
ghost rising mp in Lombard street, and I
even MIR. GOldchest, taken unawares S
~ this first appearance at his carriage a
toor, gasped out: Bless my souln' q
md slipped one foot off the curb stone d.
nto the gutter in his first surprise c
he was even a little curious for 50
,reat man, and said: n
''Have you been i'll, Jacob?'' Y
He did not know his other name. ''Old k
acob'' was Mr.. Cattley's cognomen in a
lombard Cranky Jacob some
lines.
''No, sir"
Them
Jacobs rugged face twitched verv
ouch as he touched his hat deferentiai- G
Y, and said: r
I've had loss, Mr.. Goldchest." v
"Oh! indeed"
Mr. Goldchest did not ask what or ..
-hom he had lost; he glanced at the
ig rusty hat-band wrapped round the o.
lsty hat of his humble dependent: :.
here was fugitive fear that there I'll
llghG be something catching" from
Lr. Cattley's close proximity, and he
epped with alacrity into his carriage
nd drew up his window sharply. He
id not reward Jacob on that occasions; to
g gave no thought to the arrears which OF
light have accumulated during Jacobs c;
osence from his duties; and the old m
ian walked home very thoughtfully, II
nd with dOWncast expression of hi
'untenance. On his way home he tn
lcountered Polly Baxter, who also was tn
sposed to take him for ghost, and
early dropped her basket into the Lon sn
1n mud at the first sight of him.
why. Tor, sir! Who'd have thought di
itP' she exclaimed. of
Thought of what?" he asked, a
tie curiously.
'Of your being alive, and moving wi
'out like this I'm so glad
Glad, are you? What are YOU clad
rP' he inquired sharply. str
= Glad to see an old customer turn m,
}. was the truthful reply. ers
''Ahl Just so, Jacob.
And not that exactly, mind YOU"
ded Polly, "but because you are here. to
u know. That's it. Where have YOU
en-, sir? mp too
This was Mr.. GoIdchest's inouirv he
SO, but not conveyed with so much in
'est. Ano his answer was the same tai
before grs
'.Pve had a loss.
''Not-nOt moneyP'' eve
I've lost my daughter; all I had in you
? world to me; all l cared for, child.
'od day." he said, with an excite =
mt for which Polly was wholly I'M
epared. .
Yes; but here; hold ha7,d.n she cried. 8
elegantly. ''Ain't you agoing to have VIII
y flowers to- chi
The old man hurried away from her. .
rted across the road under horses .
ads and omnibus wheels, with almost l
alacrity of youth, and il was not till FOL
was upon Blackfr. airs Bridge that he I'll
! recovered his cOmposure, and quite was
shed with ragged pocket handker- A
ct, which was evidently a segment / reg
his winter wrapper, being OF the and
ne striking pattern and color. When the
had crossed the bridge and South wor
rk street, and was turning into one OF
the little crowded thoroughfares on unit
right of the Blackfriars Road. lead a pr
to the salubriOus quarters of Gray upo
-ane and parts adjacent. he was as ton
lshed aud discounted again to find was
~ Baxter at his elbow, exceedingly flow
IN the face and short of breath. with
Well, you can jest walk, old gentle ia
4. and no mistake ~ she said mise