The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-06-12
PRETTY POLLY PIPER.

PRETTY POLLY PIPER.
l "Come, Polly" said Mrs. Piper, sharp
ly, ''what are you dreaming about?
, Eleven o'clock and the best parlor not
busted yet, and old Gloriana calling you
to help hang out 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 fine LADY,"
Polly Piper jumped quickly up, hiding
her dogs s'-eared paper covered novel, as
she did so, under the sofa cushion.
81 wish l were fine lady," said She
I'D be practicing sonatas on the piano.
or sketching Yellow mountain, or hem
ming ruflles, instead of working like a
slave!'
Mrs. Piper looked keenly at her daugh-
ter.
"Polly tossed her sunny head with a
movement of disdain.
II don't know how you make that
out" said she.
you can marry this rich relation of
ours, if you please" insinuated her
mother. "Ile wants a wife to keep that
grand new house of his, on Haven hill"
Polly laughed.
'How do know he'll like me?" she
questioned.
Nonsense, Polly! There's no need to
tell you that. You're as pretty as a
pink" said Mrs. Piper, viewing her
daughter with maternal pride.
And how do l know l shall like
him?"
"Why shouldn't you like him? lie
can't be more than 90, and man at go
handsome-at least Viola Bartlett says
he used to be. And you know very well,
Polly, you can make him love you, fast
enough!n
Polly pused up her cherry dot of
mouth.
"a handsome house and a grand car
riage of your own," artfully interpOsed
Mrs. Piper. "And servants do all this
drudgery that comes so hard on you now,
and good home for your poor father
that's crippled with rheumatism and''-
"All this is taking a good deal for
granted" cried Polly, dancing across
the room. "Just hear old Gloria bawling
for help! | think she'll drown herself
in the washtub if l 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 shOTtcake yourself, and
| I'll attend to the tomatoes And, moth
this minute, but here's note from the
school trustees to let you know that this
is your week for boarding the new
schOolmaster."
Mrs. Piper gave start of dismay.
| "The new schoolmasterw 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 here
to-day; 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. | dare say
the man would just as soon go to Widow
Topham's this week. There he is COM
ing 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 mwillingly advanced toward a tall,
preternaturally slender young man who
was coming hesitatingly up the garden
path, with baggy umbrella in one hand
and shabby valise in the other. He
paused, and set down the shabby valise,
that he might the more conveniently
raise a still shabbier hat from his per-
spring brow, as he saw the two women.
''He has got nice eyes, in spite of that
tow colored hair of his" thought Polly.
''Im glad I'm not mother"
SIS this Mr.. Paracelsus Pipers resi-
dence?" asked the young man diff
IDENTIFY.
| yes, IT. Is, answered. 1he lauy ol Ihe
house. But there's been a mistake
We don't want you mere ,
|, CPoor iellow!' thoughtfoily' hoW
he colors! m sorry now let mother
do 1t. might have softened matters
little. HOW ured he looks ana m sure
that Vallse must welgh quarter OF toh
at least! -,
Better go to Widow Iopham S, halt
mile down the road, and teil the folks
passed you on, so you could take your
week there first. 1t amt convenient for
us to entertain you mere to-day
And, To mp the whoie matter IN tlle
bud, Mrs. PIPER turned snort around ana
made dive into the house, resolutely
closing the door behind her -,
There, said she, '1ts done! could
not have him hereV
He hasn't gone yet, said foily, her
pretty nose tlattened against the fan
lights of the hall door.
whats he doingT" sharply querled
her mother.
''IIe has sat down on his valise. Now
he is wlplng ms forehead WIN 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, II don't think
anything at all! But if you don't 90 and
help Gloriana with the washing, I'll 90
myself and there's an end of it!'
And Polly, who knew the meaning of
her mothers voice as well as musician
comprehends his gamut, obeyed at once.
Was it Polly's fault that old Gloriana
had suspended the clothes lines in that
velvet green meadow through which the
brook gurgled like laughing, frolicsome
child?
| Was it through any completely OF hers
that the tall young man had selected that
especial short cut from the Piper
farmhouse to the hig roadl
Polly stopped and looked at him, her
mouth full OF clotehs pins, her bonnie
brown curls blown hither and yon, like
a meadow of ripened wheat in a Septem-
Der gale.
''He has stopped to eat blackberries," "