St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1890-11-08


backward and forward, watching Aun,
Mary Is she drove Of to visit sicl
ncighbor.
just IS Aunt Mary was hidden from
sight BY bend in the road she heard
the crunching of wheels in the opposits
direction, and, ON looking up, found II
was the grocer and postman Of Willow
Grove. IIe checked his horse At the
gate. and, fumbling slowly in his coat
drew out white envelope, and read In
. loud voice:
''Aliss Polly Gardner. In care Of Mrs
Mary West Willow Grove. In haste. "
Then he peeped over his glasses severe
ly At Polly. and asked sharply: 'Who's
Miss Polly GardLer? Do you know. lit
tie gir:?,
20. that's me.,' cried Polly, jumping
from tho horse-block, and Mrs. Mary
West 10 aunty. Please give me my
letter. It's from mamma. / am 90 glad."
Can you read?"
"Yes, of course. said Polly indignant
~. I'm nine next week"
This was the letter:
DEAREST POLLY-Papa nnds he can leave his
business for short time. 20 We have concluded
20 spend the remainder Of your vacation with
you and Aunt MARY. We shall take the train
that reaches Willow Grove 1t l:0 p n. On the
etth. InQ Aunt Mary to meet US II she hes
time.
Love TO nj. and thousand kisses from
MAMMA AND PAPA.
As Aunt Mary would not return be-
fore i've o'clock, Polly determined to
walk down to the railroad station and
meet her father and mother alone She
had often been there with Aunt Mary
to watch the trains come and 60. It was
. small atatiQn. and very few people
stopped there.
just before reaching the station the
; railroad crossed draw-bridge. Polly
liked TO watch the man open and shut
the draw as the boats In the river passed
through. There was . foot-path over
this bridge, and Polly had once crossed
1t with Aunt Mary. They Asd stopped
to speak to the hagman, Who vas pleas
ant and good-natured. He told Polly
whore she could And some beautiful
white lilies in . pond not far away.
1hxtvR4oseethsrsw week ago and the
flowers were not then open. and now. -
Polly ran down tho road, she thought
she would have time 70 gather somo for
her parents before the train arrived.
When Polly reached tho station she
found no one there. and on looking at
tho clock found that II was only ten
minutes past four, so she had twenty
minutes to wait Then she ran on
quickly. ~ E-
The nagman stood by tho draw, and
Polly saw, some distance down the riv-
er. . small vessel coming toward the
bridge. She ran along rapidly, and q |
she passed the flagman he called out:
Going for the lilies? Tho pond was |
all white with them when I went BY |
this morning." T&
'Yes. sir; want to pick some for
mamma and papa They wrote me .
letter and said they were coming in the
next train"
"You don't say 80! Well, I guess
you're glad. Look out for the locomo-
tive. and don't take too long picking
your flowers, and you'll have plenty Of
time to got back before the train comes
In"
She thanked him and ran on. In
about five minutes she reached the
pond How lovely the lilics looked,
with their snowy cups resting upon the
dark water! But their stems were long
and tough. and most Of them grew tar
beyond her reach. Sho contrived to 90
cure four. Polly was sorry to leave %
many behind. but was afraid II she
fingered too long she would miss the
train So gathering mp the blossoms,
sho pinned them into her belt and |
back toward the bridge.
The boat had just sailed through the
lraw, andrhe man stood ready to close
The bridge. when Polly came up He
looked over at her from the center of
me bridge. and called out with . smile: |
Couldn't you get any moro flowers