Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-05-06

@Why, lor,' sir, who'd have thought Of
it,n she exclaimed.
Thought of what.' he asked, q littlu
curiously.
@Of your being alive and moving abou:
like this agin- I'm SO glad. Where have
you been, sir, Laid up,"
This was Mr.. Goldchest's inquiry also,
but not conveyed with so much interest.
And his answer was the same as before.
1--WE had loss"
@Not-not money!"
"Pve lost my daughter; all had in the
world to me; all I 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, inelegantly; saint you agoing to
have any flowers to-"
The 4old unn hurried away from her,
darted across the road under horses heads
and 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
swell, you Jest can stump out, guv'nOr,
and no flies" she said.
@What do you want with me." he asked,
testify now; what is it.
II only want to say I'm sorry like" she
blurted forth. Il didn't think, all at once,
about the flowers, and that you wanted
them for her, of course, who's gone now.
and who was fond of flowers. twig, !
see; you won't mind what i say-will you
nowt"
Jacob Cattley stared at her, but he
croaked forth, NO"
@I'll never AK you again-ITl never look
your way again; but take this, please, for
this once, won't your"
And Polly held out his usual seized
bunch of flowers, at which the old man
shrunk as thought it had been a pistol
levelled at him.
1T isn't for the money" said Polly, ex-
cited now herself; II don't want any
money-ketch old, please do. Jest to
make believe you're taking them to
her the same as ever, sir"
The old man stretched out q trembling
hand towards the flowers at this sugges-
ton, and Polly thrust them into his grasp
and fairly ran across the bridge again,
leaving him looking after her open
mouthed, and with some salt tears brim-
ming over his blinking eyelids and making
their way down the deep burrows in his
cheeks
On Monday Jacob passed her as usual
on his homeward route, and with his old
patrOnizing bow, and with a steadier stare
ut her too, as il no longer afraid 10 face
her But Polly looked the other way and
would not see him-fell into the habit of
hiding from him even-and on the follow
ing Saturday would also have eluded him,
had he not come up the reverse way Of the
street, and taken her unawares by a flank
movement.
LET me have a good bunch to-day-a
twopenny bunch, !" he said, in quite bust
ness-like manner.
Polly Baxter was surprised, but she gave
him the flowers he required, and he
dropped the money into her basket.
"But you don't want 'em now-do your
she murmured.
ayes, of course I do That was good
thought of yours, child, last week. And
took the flowers to her."
"Ohr CALCULATED Polly.
"And shall do SO every week, making be-
lieve, as you say, that she's waiting for
them It not bad thought at ALL" he
muttered; ~she was so very fond Of flowers"
How old was your gall" asked Polly.
About your age, should say"
"And ailing alters was shei"
"For the last three or four years. yes.
Good day" and then Jacob hurried away,
and this time she did not attempt to follow
him
II was from this time that Jacob con-
trived to be rs regular n customer to Polly
Baxter Us he had ever been, and had any
one had the curiosity to follow the move
ments Of the old man, he or she would
have seen him every Sunday, in fair
weather or foul, plodding on to footing
cemetery to lay his little Offering on the
grave Of the daughter who had been al
ways fond Of flowers When the winter
time 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 customary 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 weil,"
"Weil, not quite as well as l might be,
perhaps" he answered cautiously.
Il don't mind your paying for these some
r;.,,v a;f
sIt ,,h.,,r h. ..l.d sh ,,. fri,
stop.
III you're hard up Itwon't make much
10 M, and she might miss EN-
now"
"Thankee," he said gently, and he looked
very hard at her from under his tangled,
wiry eyebrows; that's kind thought,
child. What did you say your name was,"
Il didn't say she answered. surprised
n her turn; but It's Folly Baxter"
Living where, nowf'
ST James row" she answered, at the
BACK there. But why!
1ood day.
That was the last time Polly Baxter met
jacob Cattiey In the London streets, Tor
jacob disappeared again, and Iombaru
street ana the nower-glri on Ludgate hiil
missed MIN altogether. HE must he dead
this time, poor old cove" thought Polly.
But Polly was again deceived One
morning short, red faced woman with a
market masket on her arm. and key in
her hand, looked hard at her, and stopped.
rs your name Polly Baxter
Yes, that's it.
You're wanted in George street, Gravel
ane, No. y. My lodSer, the old man who
iseu 70 guy flowers OF you, wants TO see yon
precious bad
he am dead then, cried Pouy; wei,
am glad
Don't see what you've got to he glad
ABOUT said the woman, sharply; but no,
,e amt dead yet hes hooking II OH