Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1889-12-07

still shabbier hat from his perspirin!
brow, as he saw the two women.
"He has got nice eyes, in spite o
that tow colored hair of his" though
Polly. "I'm glad Pm 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. "But there's been a mistake
We don't want you here !"
("Poor fellowp thought Polly
GLOW he colors I'm sorry now | let
mother do it. How tired he looks, and
Pm sure that valise must weigh a
quarter of ton at least p)
Better go to Widow Topham's halt
mile down the road, and tell the folks
passed you on, so you could take
your week there first. 1t amt con-
venient for us to entertain you here to-
day"
And, to nip the whole matter in the
bud, Mrs. Piper turned short around
and made a dive into the house resolu-
tely closing the door after her.
"There," said.she, cts done l could
not have him here!"
"He hasn't gone yet, said Polly, her
pretty nose fattened against the fan
lights Of the hall door.
whats he doing ?" sharply queried
her mother.
"He has sat down on his valise.
Now he is wiping his forehead with a
very nice white pocket handkerchief
Now he's looking back at the house.
Oh, mother don't you think"
"Polly," said Mrs. Piper, in accents
of condensed evaporation, 81 don
think anything at all But if you don't
go and help Gloriana with the washing
I'll 60 myself, and there's an end to
it r
And Polly, who knew the meaning
of her mothers voice az well as a musi-
clan comprehends his gamut, obeyed at
once.
Was it Polly's fault that old Glori-
ana had suspended the clothes lines in
that velvet green meadow through
which the brook gurgled like laugh
ing, frolicsome child?
Was it through any completely Of
hers that the tall young man had sell
ected that especial short cut" from the
Piper house to the high road!
Polly stopped and looked at him,
her mouth full Of clothes pins, her
bonnie brown curls blown hither and
yon, like meadow of ripened wheat
in September gale.
"He has stopped to eat blackber-
ries," thought She "He must be very
hungry. Young man, l say-young
man p
The stranger started.
81 beg your pardon p said he cam
| trespassing?"
NO." said Polly, at isn't that. Any
one is welcome to the wild blackberries.
But-you seem hungry
"Pm almost famished," frankly adj
mitted the young man. 81 breakfasted
at six, and I've had nothing since"
cts too bad~ cried sympathetic
Polly. Look here-you shall come
to our house! | don't care what mother
says ?"
"You are Miss Piper ?" he asked.
"They call me Polly" said the girl.
81 declare it's semi-barbarous, this sort
of thing We've no business to act like
the priest and the Levite, even if we dc
happen to be expecting company from
the city. There's very nice little
bedroom over the kitchen, sir, if you
don't mind the chimney going through
it, and the outlook into the poultry
yard behind, and I'll get you some
dinner myself. Gomez
With the gesture of a modern Queer
Boadicea bidding her serf Follow
me !" Polly left the basket of clothes tc
it's fate and led the way back to the
house, where Mrs. Piper was even ther
beating eggs for the peach shortcak'
by the kitchen table.
Mother" said she, "I've brough
the schoolmaster back. Don't b.
| vexed but he was so tired and hungr,
poor fellow I'll fix up the kitchen
bedroom for him, and it will take onl,
a few minutes to cook bit Of beet
steak and make a cup of coffee"
''Polly," cried the despairing matron
81 think you must be crazy"
Madam" said the bewildered stran
ger, 81 do not desire to intrude, if
"It's all right, mother" said Polly
flying around briskly, pouring out
bowl of rich milk, into which sh
helped a liberal portion of the slice
peaches which had been intended fo
the shortcake, and urging her compan
"to eat that to begin with !" while sh
| measured out some coffee and put
juicy slab of steak on the gridiron Owe
] a bed Of white hot Goals.