The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-12-26

rudely checked and a sharp heel had
been set upon the old mans dignity.
And 1t looked as though a GOODNESS
must necessarily follow. The strangers
had brought mystery with them and
had left it in the village, and in this
mystery stood Polly Lopp.
Not word had been spoken. Polly
arose to leave the table. Nell looked
up and her countenance was sorrowful,
not so much that there might be a
compromising mystery, but that 1t was
kept dark from her.
Coin. Miss Polly?" Aimes said.
'"Yes, l am through with my supper"
But wait a moment. Now there's
no need of foolishness between us; we
are your friends and you ought to
speak out. Them men comm here
and bein' so familiar like with you will
cause a scandal, and it's for me to de-
terAine as the mayor of this town
whether or not l can stand by you.
But first you must tell me-never mind
about my shirt ben' unbuttoned and
all that sort of thing-you must tell
me somethin' about them men. Now
will you?"
yes. They came and they went
away That is all you need to know"
Not be a slatherin'-eXcuse my
strength-no, it amt. Where did you
know them?"
II might have met them in a city"
"Hah, what's that? Might have met
them in city, but why? That's what l
want to know. Didn't you hear one of
them refer to me as old top and I've
been ten years mayor of this town?
Hah, didn't you hear that? And why,
then, Should you have met them in a
city, or anywhere else?"
When | probably met them years
ago perhaps | was not aware that they
were going to refer to you as old top"
Nell laughed, and the old man
scratched his head well now We'll
say that you couldn't help meeting
them," he went on, but we can't say
that you had to become so we'll ac-
1ualnted with them as to let them call
you Polly. l CAD, / don't call you Pol
ly, and I'm the mayor of this town and
July, CAD. Hope the Lord will in the
meantime excuse both | gads. Hah,
now answer me that, will you?"
"All that you need to know, Mr.
Aimes, you shall know in time"
"Hah, in time? But what will the
people of this town think when they
come to me to find out and / put them
off with your sayln' that they shall
know in time? l CAD, miss, when the
people of this town want to know a
thing there amt no sich thing as time
the whole scheme is an eternity until
they find out, and unless they find out
before the next election I'm beaten as
long now that l can't quit. Set down
here now and tell us, won't you?"
Not this evening. Nell, I'm going
out into the garden"
Polly was sitting in the summer house
when Nell Joined her. They were ST.
lent for time and then Nell said: 81
am so sorry that anything should have
happened. | was as happy as l could
be until then. Tell me, dear. what it
all means, and I'll promise to stand by
you, no matter what 1t is, for do think
50 much of you. / do, Polly, love you,
in fact, and now it does grieve me so to
have anything come between u.s."
Polly took her hand and holding it,
replied: "There are many features of
life in a city, and some of them might
seem strange to you. That l should
have become acquainted with those
men was happening; that they should
have come to this place is another hap
pening, and neither happening amounts
to enough to cause any real uneasincss
on the part of my friends. So l beg of
you not to let it worry you"
"Oh, it doesn't worry me SO far as |
am concerned, but what will the peo-
pie say? Indeed, what won't they say?'
"Nell, the view and the opinion of a
village are necessarily narrow; here
people are suspicious of strangers and
are ever on the lookout for an oppor-
tunity to suspect one another, so it
would be quite impossible for me to
make an explanation that would be
satisfactory to them"
But, my dear Polly, you can make
an explanation that will be satisfactory
to me-
mot now, my dear but after awhile
l will. Your father is calling you"
The old man stood at the garden
| gate, whooping the name Of his daugn-
ter, and when she had come to him,
having left Polly sitting on a bench in
the summer house, the old fellow said;
| Nell, so into the house and stay there
| till | come, and when do come I may
have some mighty interestin' news 70,
you"
(To Be Continued)