The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-10-22
GOOD NATURE ALWAYS PAYS
How Pretty Polly Piper Was
Good to the Schoolmaster and
Won a Prize.
(BY HELEN FoRREsT GRAvEs.l

Eleven O'Clock and the best parlor not
dusted yet, and old Gloriana calling you
to help hang N the clothes, and the to-
matoes waiting to be made into catsup,
and the peach short cake to be baked,
and you here, dawdling away your time
like a fine ladyi"
Polly Piper jumped quickly up, hiding
her dogs-eared paper covered novel, as
she did SO, under the sofa cushion.
81 wish l were a fine lady," said she.
I'D be practicing sonatas on the piano,
or sketching Yellow mountain, or hem
ming %rufles, instead of working like a
slave!"
Mrs. Piper looked keenly at her daugh-
ter.
"Polly," said she, "you know very
well you needn't work unless you've a
mind to-
Polly tossed her sunny head with a
movement of disdain.
81 don't know how you make that out"
said she.
"You can marry this rich relation of
ours, if you please" insinuated her mo
ther. "He wants a wife to keep that
BldA1Q lew l1ODcC VI AlAS1 OA 4lbSEA l1As
Polly laughed.
"How do l know he'll like mef" she
questioned.
"Nonsense, Pollyi There's no need to
tell you that. You're as pretty as a pink"
said Mrs. Piper, viewing her daughter
with maternal pride.
Sand how do / know I shall like him?'
"Why shouldn't you like him? He
can't be more than so, and a man at GO
ought to be in his prime. And he's very
handsome-at least Viola Bartlett says
he used to be. And you know very well,
Polly, you can make him love you, fast
enoughi"
Polly pursed up her cherry dot Of a
mouth.
ga lover of co." cried she, "who used
to be handsome when Viola Bartlett was
a grill Oh, notherl"
ga handsome house and a grand car
riage of your own" a~rtfully interposed
Mrs. Piper. "And servants to do all
this drudgery that comes SO hard on you
now, and a good home for your poor
father that's crippled with rheumatism
and"-
"AH this is taking a good deal for
granted" cried Polly, dancing across
the room. "Just hear old Gloria bawling
for helpl I think she'll drown herself in
the washtub if / don't come pretty soon.
He's to be here in the noon train, isn't
he? Oh; mother, you'll have to make
the peach shortcake yourself, and I'll at
tend to the tomatoes! And, mother-I
declare / never thought of it until this
minute, but here's a note from the school
trustees to let you know that this is your
week for boarding the new schoolmas-
ter
Mrs. Piper gave a start of dismay.
1.-THE new schoolmaster!s' she echoed.
"But, Polly, he can't come this week!
We haven't but the one spare room, and
your cousin from New York is to be here
today; and, besides, we can't be both
cred with country schoolmasters when
there's so much to be done. Write and
tell the trustees SO at once I dare say
the man would just as oon got Widow
Topham's this week. There he is coming
now. Tell him, Polly"
A score of dimples broke out around
Polly Piper's bewitching little Cupid's
bow of a mouth; her blue eyes sparkled
fun.
"Tell him yourself, mother" she re-
torted. 81 don't know what on earth to
say"
And, thus forced into the breach, Mrs.
Piper unwillingly advanced toward a
tall, preternaturally slender young man
who was coming hesitatingly up the
garden path, with a baggy umbrella in
one hand and a shabby valise in the
other. lie paused, and set down the
shabby valise, that he might the more
conveniently raise a still shabbier hat
from his perspiring brow, as he saw the
two women.
she has got nice eyes, in spite of that
tow colored hair of his" thought Polly.
sim glad I'm not mother!''
els this Mr.. Paracelsus Piper's resi-
dence?' asked the young man, diff
IDENTIFY.
eyes, it is" answered the lady Of the
house. 'sBut there's been a mistake. We
don't want you herer'
("Poor fellow" thought Polly. "How
he colors! I'm sorry now / let mother
do it. might have softened matters a
little. How tired he looks, and Tn sure
that valise must weigh a quarter of q
ton at least!')
"Better go to Widow Topham's, half a
mile down the road, and tell the folks |
passed you on, so you could take your
week there first. 1t amt convenient for
us to entertain you here today"
And, to nip the whole matter in the
bud, Mrs. Piper turned short around and
made a dive into the house, resolutely
closing the door behind her.
"There," said she, sits done! I could
not have him here!"
"He hasn't gone yet" said Polly, her
pretty nose flattened against the fam
lights OF the hall door.
"What's he doing?' sharply queried
her mother.
"He has sat down on his valise. Now
he is wiping his forehead with a very
nice white northumberland Now
he's looking back at the house. Oh,
mother, don't you think
"Polly," said Mrs. Piper, in accents OF
condensed evaporation, Il don't think
anything at all! But if you don't 60 and
help Gloriana with the washing, I'll go
myself, and thore's an end of itir