The Red Cloud chief., 1889-01-18

0~ -
1.-THE peddler. persuasi ely. ~You doni
know dot you could sell lot bit Of shewelr,
for twendy to!lars in th{ city, eh! YELL Vol
can; any sheweller Would slump at d;
shance. I would sell II myself, but l va,
not going 20 the city for dis long. long vile
und I needs the money. fen tolIars va,
| ylfng dot necklace away"
Polly had been thinking II many thing,
a. the peddler spoke. One Sf them was O
. party. she was to attend at the viilaz.
horel hat night: a party that was to be tn,
grandcst a1air Of her life. Then she va,
going to the city next day TO spend . wee,
with . young girl who had recently spent
month with Polly. Last Of all, she though
OF crisp tendollar bill upstairs in her owr
little purse.
Her grandmother had given her the bill
on her sixteenth birthday, only week be
fore. She was free to do - she liked
with This money. but she had not thought o.
spending 1t without the appreciation Of he
parents. Sho had, In fact. said that II
should be the nucleus Of fund with which
she intended going away to school for si1
months during the coming year.
"Are you sure I could sell it for twenty
or even fifteen dollars in the cityF" she
asked, slowly and thou2htfully.
II vas shust 50 sure Is dot I vas alive"
'Even IL I had worn il q littleP'
dot would mex NO tit renee"
The end OF II all WAS that when the ped
der went away he had Polly's ten-iollar
bill in his wallet, and she had b necklace
hidden away, and was going about her work
but she was not singing now.
well, did you get the ribbonPr asked
Mrs. Pringle, when she came into the
kitchen while Polly WAS laying the cloth for
dinner.
YES" replied Polly.
"Didn't get any thing else but that and
my thread. did you."
Polly had suddenly found something 70
do in the pantry, and affected to be % busy
there that she had not time to answer her
mothers question.
Mrs. Pringle was not 10 be put OF, how
ever. She stepped to the pantry door and
said:
Didn't get any thing else, did yous Tha,
peddlcr stayed in the house 30 lon. as
was afee-d he'd coax you into buying some
thing else, q l dunno As you'd really
ought 70 a bought that ribbon, moneys
80 skecrce. Did he try to wheedle you into
buying some Of his other ~gevgawsr"
"NO-O-O," said Polly slowly Is she bent
over the bread-tray with q crimson face.
Polly was a good girl and hated a false
hood. She had told An untruth before she
realized what she was saying, and now she
began trying to excuse herself, and to per
suadc herself tina she had not really told y
falsehOod.
'ltisn't a. though I had really bough, the
necklace to keep" she reasoned with herself:
I'm only going to wear it tonight and "a
Few times may be when l go TO the city to
visit Hattie. and then l shall take it to =
jeweler and sell it before ! come home and
get twice ~ much rs I gave for it. Then
I'll tell mother all about 1t, and she'll be
glad I got il, 30 it really isn't telling q story
not to tell that I have II now"
But this reasoning did not relieve POlly's
conscience. She was strangely silent III
dinner. and did not resume her old cheer
fulnoss even when the subject Of the com
ing party at the hotel had been brought up
By her purcnts. Heretofore she had been
all animation whenever the party was men
toned.
"Aint you feeling well. PollyF asked her
mother, noticing the change in her mi
''IBetter a K . little ! when you get the
dishes washed. and kind o. rest up for to-
night"
Il guess I WILL" replied Polly. and she
went up 10 her room an hOur or two later.
Her new white muslin dress was lying on
the bed. its ounces crisp and fresh. and
the ribbon she had brought Of the peddler
knotted into . graceful bow, with long
ends, and pinned to the waist. POlly's
spirits revived when she looked 1t her first
party dress, and. instead Of lying down. she
slipped OF her dark calico dress. and arrsyed
herself in tho muslin. Then the new neck.
lace was clasped around her slender neck.
Ii was easier now to make herself him
that she had lone nothing wrong. and she
stood before her little mirror for . long
time, viewing herself in this light md in
that, with . satisfied smile on her face.
Her mother helped her to dress for the
party.
81 guess you'll look abou, - well ~ the
best OF EN-" she said. with motherly pride,
when Polly was ready to start. THAT rib
bon Il the iinishin, tech. I'm real glad you
got il, after all. O. how would you like to
wear my gold chain and pencil your pa cav
me wnen we was married. You can II sou
want to. It's to be yours some day. any
how"
The day before Polly would have thought
this . great privilege. and would eagerly
have accepted the offer; but now she STAN
mered "a b said:
"I-I-dou't know. mother. Mary Hazel
has aOmc lovely pink roses out. and she said
she'd bring some to tho hotel for mo 10
wear"
~. that'l be better than the chain" said
Mrs. Pringle. THE chain nOsd be q good
deal for . girl Of your age TO wear. To my
way OF thinkin', there amt nothiD' 40 nice
for girls to wear as natchrel flowers. It's
purticr'n all the jew,'ry they can pile on"
The necklace In Poliy's dress pocket
seemed to burr her fingers. - she touched
Il Ut that moment. She intended putting it
on after she reached the hotel. and she did
90 with . feeling " pride that rose above all
her sense Of deceit And shame for the false
hoods she had told and acted.
She noted with secret satisfaction that the
girls Of her acquaintance looked admiringly
1t her necklace. and ZONE Of them praised it
openly. Mary Hazel bad brought the roses.
but Polly wore them thrust into the ribbon
Of her bolt, aud not IT her throat But when
she lay in her bed. late 1t night, thinking il
oil over, her truer nature 2sserted itself
again, and she went 70 sleep with atrOubled
heart
Two days later she went 70 the city to
visit her friend. Hattie Martin. She was
eager to 20 for soveQl reasons, chief Of
which now WAS her desire 70 exchange the
necklace for the money she he'd given for II.
ever though she got no more. Then she
would tell her mother all about IL. It would
be easier to do il then, she said.
Hattie Martin had arranged for seveari
PARTIES for POlly's pleasure. md they were
invited out several times. Polly wore her
ueckl.ce on these occasions. but with dimin-
ishine satisfaction each tina
When she took il % for the last time. it
800 18th q feline ~ HnliAf - AaxN dr.