, 1886-07-14

'sAot OAa hLi 4
and to wonder why 1t had been kept from
her all these years, and why no one In the
highways and bywaSs or her life had said
a word about it.
Possibly thinking OF this Ind male her
think OF other folk us the light filtered a
little through the darkness of Polly Bax-
ter's life, but she did think n great deal of
the poor old-fashioned little man who
seemed to have vanished like a ghost, and
1t became a matter of speculation why he
had ever 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, turned up again one Saturday. six
weeks or two months after everybody
thought he was dead. 1t was Xix a ghost
rising up in Lombard street, and even Mr..
Goldchest, taken unawares by this reap
pearance at his carriage-door. gasped out,
"Bless my soullv and slipped one foot of
the curbstone into the gutter in his first
surprise. lie was sven a little curious for
so great a man, and said.
-Have you been Ill, jacob"
He did not know his other name. Old
Jacob" was NJ. Bakers cognomen in
Lombard street; Cranky Jacob" some
times,
NO, sir I've had a loss, Mr.. Gold
chest
20, indeed
Mr.. Goldchest did not ask what or whom
he had lost; he glanced at the big rusty
hatband wrapped around the rusty hat of
his humble dependent; there was n fugi-
tive fear even hat there might be some
thing catching from Mr.. Bakers close
nrnyffnffv mud ha utaaraJ NTH o1ooritv
into his carriage, and drew up his window
sharply, He did not reward Jacob on that
occasion; he gave no thought to arrears
which might have accumulated during
Jacobs absence from his duties, and the
old man walked home very thoughtfully,
and with a downcast expression of coun-
tenance. Or his way home he encountered
Polly Baxter, who also was disposed to
take him for a ghost, and nearly dropped
her basket into the London mud at the
first sight Of him,
"Why, lor,' sir, who'd ave thought of
ltf" she exclaimed.
Thought Of what" he asked, a little
curiously.
"Of your being alive and moving about
like this gin- Tn so glad. Where have
you been, sirS Laid upi"
This was Mr.. Goldchest's inquiry also,
Ddb tOnNtltd WIFI 81 lnuCn luttltSb.
And his answer was the same as before.
I've had a loss"
"Not-not money!"
"Ive lost my daughter; all l had in the
world to me; all l cared for, child. Good
day, he said, with an excitement for which
Polly was wholly unprepared,
ayes; but here, hold hard, old un," she
cried, indignantly; "ain't You agoing to
have any flowers to-
TIL "old uni" hurried away from her,
darted across the road under horses heads
omnibus wheels, with almost the
alacrity Of youth. Reaching Gravel lane
he was astonished and discounted again to
find Polly Baxter at his elbow, exceedingly
red in the face, and short of breath,
well, you jest can stump out, guv'nor,
and no flies" she said.
What do you want with mel" he asked,
testify now; "what is it,"
a only want to say I'm sorry like" she
blurted forth. II didn't think, all mt once,
about the flowers, int that you wanted
them for her, of course, who's gone now,
and who was fond of flowers. / twig, l
see; you Won't mind what l say-win you
nowf"
Jacob Cattley stared at her, but he
oak forth, "No."
IN never ax you again-Im never look
mis- - xyon,t von,n
And PolN teld oHt-hs usuaI-seized
bunch of flowers, Mt which the old man
shrunk as thought it had been a pistol
levelled at him.
at isn't for the money! said Polly, ex-
cited now herself; n don't want any
money-ketch odd, please do. Jest to
make believe you're taking them to
a,'n nv u
- - r. ann.a Sn.Nl
-" ~. -. -.
.a 40 It'll, o - aarnss tIa hr,5r Esp
Iaa,na it,, ,"at;as e. IS $50 So
$40 nns r,,.h Ii :. ppen
,ntnn 49, lie h,inh,n lid 40 m,atina
,n'ni y 80 Ing 80 NV IN ~
ehnet""' "'"" "' "e'P :" ms
"ne ,
IN Monuay jacob passeu her as usuai
on MS homewaru route ana WIN MS OLD
=. ,s-~~. ~ s -. - -
- ~ oil. 49, a. -
n,a,,a ~, go it, sau to- ~ haayJ;, ~
hh,5,na erono hin, ayanHond y, ,ha saIio,,
e. - .-a,,5 H. - - -
t rs Nv y" u.s. na,e uu nm,
s,raat an% tolon up hor u aeerse way aa me
mnven,ant ant" 1t ~ IAN"
AZ OF, mo how, rood ,un.h ,oa.u j.
,wanarnS hmnoh = ha saia w. nri,o -;
49, H. anna f ~
poiin pa~,ar zoe saa ,,,
IT., a. a. Is" nnas So
arn,nod ,ha 80, mt har haes q"
sppt ,an dnn', ;,ant ,an, nnSrNSo ,o,,,
she mnrmured
avas anursat 10 rn., -
ou ~ ""s " soou
,noS w. go,vers ~ har ~ N"u
eGhm oianria,ad poir
nAna III do 90 ava u.r-
lieve ms Won saw that sha,s ,~yaltin9 ~,
,han ~, no, had -, 70 m ~