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

checked ard a'sharp heel had been set
upon the old mans dignity. And it looked
as though GOODNESS must necessarily fol-
low. The strangers had brought a 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. Nsll looked up and her
that there might be compromising mys-
| terry. but that it was kept dark from her.
Coin. Miss Polly?I Ainles asked.
Eyes, am through with my supper"
But walt moment. Now there's no
need of foolishness between US; we are your
friends and you ought to speak out. Them
men comm here ar d1beip' so familiar like
with you will cause a. scandal, and it's for
me to determine as the mayor of this town
whether or not 1 cap stard by you. But
first you must tell me-,lever mind about
my shirt bein' unbuttoned and all that
sort of thing-you must tell me somethin
| about them men. Now, will your
Yes They cam" and they went away
That is all you need to know"
mot be a slatherin'-excuse my strength
no. 1t amt. Where did you know them?"
Il might have met them in CITY,"
"Hah, what's that? Might have met
them in city, but why? That's what 1
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 city, or anywhere
else?'
when probably met them years ago
perhaps l 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 well acquainted with them as to let
| them call you Polly. / CAD, don't call you
Polly, and I'm mayor Of this town and have
been for ten years this comm July, l CAD.
a. IT,,
! both l gads. Hah. now answer me that,
| will your
"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 1 put them off with your
sayin' that they shall know in time?
CAD, miss. when the people of this town
want to know thing there amt no SIGH
| thing as time-the whole scheme is an
eternity until they find out, and unless
they find ont before the next election I'm
beaten sure as a horn, and I've been
mayor sc long now that l can't quit. Set
down here now and tell us, won't your
Not this evening Nell, I'm going out
into the garden"
Polly was sitting in the summer house
when Nell Joined her. They were silent
for time and then Nell said: II am so
sorry that anything should have happen
ed. I was as happy as I could be until
then. Tell me, dear, what 1t all means,
and I'll promise to stand by you, no mat
ter what it is, for l do think so much of
you. do, Polly. love you, in fact, and
now 1T does grieve me so to have anything
come between u.s."
Polly took her hand and, holding it, re-
piled: There are many features of life in
city and some of them might seem
strange to you. That / should have be-
come acquainted with those men was a
happening; that they should have come to
this place is another happening, and Meth
er happening amounts to enough to cause
any real uneaSineSS on the part of nv
friends. So beg of you not to let it worry
YOU"
''Oh, 1t doesn't worry me so far as / am
concerned, but what will the people say?
Indeed, what won't they say?"
Nell, the view and the opinion Of
village are necessarily narrow: here peo-
pie are suspicious of strangers and are
ever on the lookout for an opportunity