Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-11-15

"Thanks." said Polly, demurely.
sit grieves me to see"-with severe
bending of her pretty brow-"that
YOU are not quite so commod1ously
domiciled as you have led your friends
to believe. Indeed, 1 fail to observe
the costly statue, or the curtained re-
cess which hid painters masterpiece,
or the bric-a-brac which adorned your
special senctum, or the jardiniers of
exotics--or-"
"Oh, come, now. don't be hard on
fellow if he tried to cheat the world
a little with his optimism, but found
a parallel for every parable.
"Parable is very mild express
sion," put in Miss Polly. 81 call it
lies"
"The Bible name sounds better,
he suggested, mildly, "and more ap-
propriate, besides. I can illustrate
every assertion. ''For instance he
pulled aside the curtain before his one
window-"this is the curtained recess,
unembellisbed, 1 admit, but there is a
snug ledge here, from l look down
upon my costly statue; there 1t is
old Ben Franklin, shedding his benign
presence over that dingy square. Is
he not as much mine as he is yours or
Mr.. Smiths next door? That's the
sociological light to view It In; and
painters masterpiece is a little further
on. but visible to the naked eye. The
simmer of the bay is exquisite in the
sunlight and on dull and murky days
II is Corot at his best; it might be
Turner just now, it is such brilliant
dash of color. And the bric-a'brac, l
assure you, Miss Polly, that broken
nosed Juno on the shelf just over your
head is a marvel of the rare unique. "
.sAnd the exotics, "murmured Polly,
chow can you account for them?"
''My greatest TREASURED" ne an,
nounced, pushing single flower poi
in view. ''This is a q spring of rose
geranium that a certain young lady
dropped from her hair last Christmas
at the Carringtons' ball. Are you
satisfied"
ssNo. All those half-truths are worse
than lies'-with a queer little catch
in her voice, then with sudder
change Frederick
"Well?"
"I'ye come to eat my lunch witt
YOU: it's dreadfully improper, know
but" (maliciously), "my little Office
was SO small that I sighed for more
spacious quarters. Are you sure your
clients will not interrupt us?"
az think may assure you safety OF
that score"
ssVery we'll, then, l shall spread th'
feast" cried Miss Polly, springing ul
and grasping fat black bag, whlci
had nestled unnoticed in her lap. ere
move your ink and quills from you
desk into the recess, also the legal cal
and those heavy tones ofiurisprudenc
and The Heavenly Twins witt
withering scorn. sis that the wa.
Won spend your time, Roderick?"
"Only in my leisure moments " h
pleaded. =, ~.
"Do you know" said Miss Polly
.I've been thinking it over calmly AM
I've come to the conclusion tina
progress and poverty don't pull to
ret6er at all. theoretically it's al
verv we'll to strain a point and sa
thew do. but coming down to facts,
With a smart thump of her closed 6s
on the desk, sit doesn't work. Tn
grindstone of poverty has no more
Common with the giant strides c
progress than-than"-
.You with me-" suggested Rodel
ick.
She sent reproachful glance acrOs
the desk to where he sat in the recess
"Can't you be impersonal for jus
two noinutes?" she asked. 81 like t
generalize wide OF the mark a; and nal
row down gradually and logically to n
adjective point, It is such q mIstak