Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-29


The Door Opened and Ont Stepped a
| ing fun of him. strobe away. "One to con-
template your tenderness" said the woman
| of the world, would scarcely think that
you had overturned loose a double-barrel
shotgun amid lot of men,"
"Oh, L did that for you, and IL had
thought that the fellow out there was an
noying you, should have driven him away
long ago."
My dear. might take that as a re-
buke, Polly replied, but I won't" she
quickly added. ....
Nell got up, brushing the sunbeams out
of her eyes, and walked about the room.
Il feel so Grange today" she said.
Something must surely be going TO hap
pen. 1 wish that editor would come over
here and beg you to take his paper for
| another year."
Perhaps he couldn't induce me to take
"Oh. but you are not thinking Of going
with the circus again, are your
You shall soon see what intend to do"
But cont do anything to separate u.s."
Polly had begun to read a newspaper.
did you hear what / said? Now what
can be in that paper to interest you so?"
Il was just reading about peculiar or
ganization that l happen to know some
thing about. Some time ago an. old man.
a crank, died i'm Chicago, having willed his
money to a club, or rather to several trus-
tees who were to form such club as he
should name. 1t was to be called the Test
Club, and was TO have but thirty members.
When a candidate should apply for men,
bership test was to be imposed upon
him, and If he carried IL out faithfully, he
was to be admitted as member, and
thereafter share in the dividends arising
from certain investments, and as the divi-
dends were large there was a rush for
membership. And / see by this article that
a woman demands the right to apply for
membership, vowing that she is willing to
undergo any test that may be imposed
upon her."
What nonsense" was the girls COM
ment. "A woman ought to know that so
socn as she gets out of her real sphere she
is robbed of her force, the power that she
should WELD over men,"
81 don't know much about the power
that women WELD" Polly replied, but I
don't think that a woman would make a
good ringma ster."
"A ringmaster Polly? What do you
fnean?"
why, ringmaster in circus
''Oh. But why should you so frequently
refer to the circus? / just believe that
you intend to run away and leave u.s.
Il think not by the way, what time
does the stage come imp
The first one comes at q little after
eleven. Why do you want to know
oh just happened to think about 1T"
But why didn't you happen to think
about 1t before?"
And for that matter" Polly quickly re
piled, why don't we happen to think
about everything before?'
They laughed at each other. and Nell.
seizing her friend, pretended that she was
going to put her out of the house. but Pol
ly, taking hold of her arms gave her an
easy upward swing and stood her OF a
chair Gracious alive" Nell cried, spring
ing down; how strong you are. Did rid
ing horse in circus make you so mIs-
cular?"
Perhaps riding horse was not all
did. i might have handled cannon balls"
Il should think you did. Ohr' she sud
denly exclaimed, looking through the win
dow, 'yonder come those three strange
men,"
Polly arose, and, CHANGING at the clock.
said: 81 am going to my room, and you
must entertain them until l come down. i
won't be long"
but let me tell them that you don't wish
to see them. They viii persuade you to so
away with them"
No; tell them that shall be down in a
few moments"
She fastened UPSTAIRS The men came TO
the door. May we come imp one. of them
asked. - - - -.rN
She invited them in with a certain stiff
ness of manner. and when they had sat
down one of them asked: where's Polly?'
Miss Lopp has gone to her room. She
will be down soon. Do you wish TO see her
on very important businesSy
well, rather" "a
But ir you have any word for her, why
oh, guess we'd better see her"
Il hope you won't persuade her to go
away.
"Ah. you have become friends take it,
Yes; devoted friends"
Mice grit" said the man. "A little
CO arse, but"
"She is not coarse, SIR
mo? All right then. thought she
was. Don't know very much about wo-
men myself, lat thought she was little
coarse"
Il should think, sir, that you would
strive to be more OF gentleman than to
call her coarse, She is the roblest and
braNest creature In the world"
That so2 Never saw her tried Is that
her stamping around upstairs?'
Nell made. no answer, and they sat In ST.
lence. After while they heard Polly
coming down the stairs. The, stair door
opened and out steppedOa man. Nell III
tered a sharp cry and covered her face
with her hands The man approached her,
and bending over h r., said: II was a can
dIdate for admission into that club and
the test was that should be a woman for
one year
oh" she sobbed. "and have told You
things that l should not have told any
one"
yes" he replied, still bending over her:
land you have shown me the purest mind
and the noblest heart that man has ever
found" He leaned further over and whis-
pered to her. and the face that she turned
up to his was radiant with confused hap
stallced in. where's Polly?" he asked.
why, what's the meaning of all this?
Hah? YOU don't mean"
Il have been Polly" a man said. bowling
and this daughter of yours, the sweetest
woman that lives, is to be my wife"
. "A man, hah? man from fust to last?
Well. say, now young fei'er, l knowed II
all the time, and ! WAS Jest waitin' to see
how long you could keep it UP, I've been
mayor of this town too long TO be fooled.
l tell you. hah?' ,.-y.s.,.- ,,taH