The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-01-08
anyone know you are related to my chill

and that made her Wadatr tlah ever
Polly was a fine, hearty 2irl, wnen you
got acquainted with her. II was not
week before she had made friends of
nearly everybody In school; and as for
the teachers, they were all in love with
her. Nobody cared anything about her
secondhand clothes and she was more
popular than Marguerite or Gladys or
Ethel.
There never were any airs about Poly.
She would Join the boys In game OF pail
and she could play as well as any OF US,
too; and when little Birtie James fell out
of that high window, who was IL that
rushed there and caught him ana broke
her own arm doing it?-who but Polly OF
course. While her arm was in sing 1
wish you could have seen the CROWDS OF us
that went by after her every morning and
ouarreled in a kind of laughing way for
the privilege of carrying her books ana
lunch basket. You see Polly was just a
genuine good girl. There never was any
body like Polly.
II made me angry and IL made me laugh,
too TO see how Mrs. Marchmont was al
ways trying TO worry and humiliate Polly
But she couldn't do it. Why i remember
one day she made some excuse about all
the servants being busy and sent Polly
out 10 scrub the portico and front steps.
went cut: and / suppose her aunt thought
in a few minutes she would find her cry
ing. and she slipped out there. And what
do YOU think she found? There was Polly
scrubbing away as merry as lark, Jok-
ing and Laughing with a crowd OF about
twenty of US that were gathered around,
and we were all begging to help her ana
she wouldn't let Ms. Mrs. MarchnoAt
face turned as red as her necktie when
she saw that and she went back into the
touse without saying a word.
Oh, Polly was the very girl for the
mace Nobody else ever could have done
the things that she did; and in Poily's
way, too.
But the grand climax came-of course
tbs story has climax, or II wouldat
be a story at all-the grand climax came
one evening in the winter. when papa
and mamma and had gone over 10 spend
the evening with the MarchmO1ts, as we
very often did. because papa and mamma
really liked MIR. Marchmont, and they
didn't mind Mrs. Marchmonts ways.
The grown folks were all in the sitting
room and | was with the children In the
hall upstairs. havina fine time. Pony
and were carrying Reg on "pack-sad-
die and Reg was shouting and kicking,
when all at once Gladys came running
out of Polly's room, holding up a little
bundle and crying:
aha, Miss Polly, I've found what
you've been hiding in that old trunk Of
yours"
You never saw anything like the look OF
Polly's face. She turned deadly white,
and dropping Reg into my arms she few
at Gladys
"Give it to me. Gladysl Give 1t to mel"
she cried, in a hoarse voice that did not
sound like hers at all. 1T is mine! You
must not touch it,!
But Gladys darted away down the
stairs. and away went Polly after her,
and all the rest of us after Polly. We
broke into the sitting room like whirl
wind. 1t was not polite, but we were all
excited and determined to see the end
| Of the trouble.
Just inside the door Polly caught
Gladys, and tried 10 take the paper away
Let me have II, Gladys! Please let
| me have it," she cried. 1T is mine. No
| one must see it,
But Gladys held II away at arm s
| length and screamed:
Here, mamma. take It! It's something
! she's been stealing. / know it is. She's
! been keeping ii hidden I'm that old trunk
| Mrs. Marchmont took the package and
| her eyes glistened with joy because she
! had at last found something against Polly.
She had forgotten all about our being
/ there.
my dear" she said to her husband,
81 have warned you agan and again that
this girl was bundle OF deceit and dis
/ honesty. Now / hope you will begin to
| pay some attention to what L say. Think
| of exposing our children to such influ-
| encesl This Is doubtless something that
she has stolen from the children. We
will examine the package right here and
| prove what have said"
1 Dgl1, Al
and buried her face in a chair cushion.
! My heart was right in my throat. I felt
/ as though / Should die If they found
| anything wrong about Polly. Mrs. Parch-
| mont reached over TO her work basket
| for the scissors and cut the Irvine with
! which the little parcel was tied Then she
| began slowly unfolding ii. 1t was wrap
| ped In piece Of newspaper first, and then
In brown wrapping paper, and after that
IN tissue paper.
| And when 1t came out at last 1t was
| nothing but paper itself-nothing but a
| folded sheet of legal cap.
| Mr. Marchmont had been looking on.
too angry to speak, think; but when that
paper came out he leaned over and took
| II from his wifes hands.
| Permit me, he said, in kind Of polite,
| grim way he had when she worried him
! very much, and he unfoided the paper
| and began 10 read.
The next minute he broke into a laugh
such a strange iaugh-and said:
my DEAR allow me TO congratulate you.
| This little paper that Polly has been hid
ing is nothing but my fathers will, and a
/ later one than the will that made me
| prince and my sister a pauper. Do you
understand, my dear? II leaves 10 Mary
| and her heirs this homestead and the
bulk OF the property and leaves to me the
| Red Cross farm and 81, 900 a year."
| Well. such a scene, Mrs Marchmont
| screamed and fell on the floor in wild
| Mysteries, and the four children all flung
| their arms about her and screamed in
| chorus. Some of them went to her help,
but Polly jumped up and ran to Mr..
| Marchmont.
| "Never mind about the will, Uncle
| John" she cried with tears streaming
| down her face. "No one need ever know.
| Mamma always said that nobody need
know. because the lawyer that made the
/ will and the witnesses that signed it were
/ all dead. II was right for you TO have
| the money, she always said. for you had
| stayed at home and been good, while she
had run away and married against grand
| pas wishes. Please give me back the will.
Uncle John. and we'll all keep II a secret
and never let anybody know"
1 But instead, Mr.. Marchmont handed
over the will 10 papa, who is a lawyer,
| aud said.