Mower County transcript., 1890-04-16
A LAWYERS STORY.
How He Managed to Keep the
Property for Polly.

property Tor Folly.
lyon were asking about John Akin
You had not gone to China, had you
when his windfall came?'
'lnheriting his uncle's property, d.
you mean? 1t was just before l left
What a pompous old jackass he was, t.
be sure, but his daughter was little
darling"
''You are right in both statements
Take another cigar. Buff you thought
John Akin pompous when he was
schoolmaster at Eyreville you should
have seen him after he came into pos.
session of ten thousand year and his
nncle's splendid home. I've heard OF
people you can't touch with forty-foo1
pole,' and he was surely one of them.
Airs! To see him riding about in his
open barouche and bowling to his neigh
bors, was study of condescension for
an Emperor. And pour little Polly had
hard time of it..
"When didn't she have hard
time of it? There wasn't a boy in
school who didn't pity Polly, if she was
the schoolmaster's daughter. When we
were all out shouting and playing, we
could see her, buried in q big check
apron, resting from Latin grammar and
Euclid by beating eggs for her fathers
puddlngs, or roasting herself over hot
fire cooking his chops. Why, he actual.
ly let that mite of a girl black his boots.
l have seen her do it!''
"4ou never would have imagined it,
however, if you had met Miss Akin
for the first time at Akin Place Akin
Place was what the ex-schoolmaster
called his uncle's house, as soon as it
became his own. And poor little Polly
n0Aer had harder time cooking his
chops and blacking his boots than she
had in acquiring the dignity he
considered proper in his daughters
position. To see his frown when
she nodded to an old friend in
stead of sitting stifly erect and inclin-
ing her head half an inch, was to know
something of the child's daily martyr
dom. She must never walk in the roads
Or lanes-Miss Atkins carriage was al
ways at her command. She must never
wear dress in which she could romp or
run-Miss Atkins wardrobe contained
the richest silks and velvets. She must
never run out to see an old friend or in
vite one to tea-Miss Akin made for
NAL calls and gave stately entertain
ments."
'Poor little Polly! It must have been
amusing to see the wee bright child try
ing to be a grand lady"
John Akin allowed the business of
the estate to remain in my hands, and I
was a frequent visitor at the house.
But never did he come down off his
stills for me, or allow Polly to forget
one ruffle of her new dignities. Some
times, if she chanced to be alone, I
found the bright, unaffected Polly we
all loved, but as soon as her father en-
tered the room she froze."
''She was always afraid of him."
"And yet she did defy him at last.
You remember Will Marshall?"
"Well! And, bless me, he was Polly's
lover when she had not conquered the
alphabet"
"And remained her lover ever after
That was the trouble"
"But what was the matter? He was
rs fine a fellow as ever breathed, and
old Marshall was rich!"
"Wus rich, you see. AS long as Mr..
Marshall was. one of the richest men in
the State, Polly's love affairs ran on
smoothly. Willis horse was fastened at
the gate of Akin Place every day, and
many an hour Polly and he spent riding
through the shady lanes about Eyre
vile. Not one word of opposition was
made to their engagement, and if Polly
ever did have any natural free enjoy.
ment, it was when she was with
viii, and away from her father.
Her wedding cards were out,
and Mr.. Akin was preparing
to astonish the country by the magnif-
:ence of the marriage festivities when
old Mr.. Marshall suddenly became bank
rupt and committed suicide. At first it
was supposed that the wedding was
postponed out of respect to the memory
of the bridegroom-elect's father, but
that idea exploded very speedily. Mr..
Akin strntted about the village swell.
ing with indignation at the villainy that
would have made his daughter the wife
of a pauper.''
''Bless me! How long was this after
he ceased to be but few removes from
q pauper himself?"
''About three years. Miss Akin, he
boasted, could marry any body-the best
in the land. But Polly did not want tn
marry any body. Her ideas on that sub.
ject were very positive, and she wanted
to marry Will Marshall. There were
terrible scenes. l was confidential
friend of all the parties, and l was
amazed to see what courage and
spirit she, timid little Polly possessed.
The war lasted several months, and Mr..
Akin pushed forward the claims OF
other suitors with great energy and
perseverance. But Polly was as reso.
lutte as he was, and one morning took
the train to New York, met Will at the
depot, and was married by noon. had
the telegram announcing that fact, with
the request to please tell papa
''There was lively scene then, i'm
agin0."