The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-11-06
P0LLY'S MISTAKE.

Now which oneY' asked Polly, and
she stood on tiptoe that she might de-
termino the point
She was plump Polly.
She was a short Polly and the man
tel-pieee was high one, so that there
was no other thing to do than to stand
on tiptoe while she gazed at two faces
and wondered, (which one?"
They were not female faces, but
Polly, though young, was old enough
to take a verypositivo interest in mas
culine faces. She had already decided
which one she would like to marry.
aud would she have been surprised if
some day, out OF that surface Of paper
on the muntel-piece, had broken a
voice, "Polly, my dear, as love you,
will you marry me?"
But he had maintained grave si-
lence because only picture, for which
reason nobody could claim credit for
unusual discretion OF speech for a
man. Yes, dumb, dumb, and that
gave Polly's warm affection a chill.
Then he was her "frst cousin Joe"
and kind of brother, was he notP
That gaze her marrying fever a still
colder chill. This young man was
very handsome. His eyes were as ex-
pressive as Polly's, and that is saying
good deal. Her eyes we're black,
soft and loving. Any one that had
eyes as handsome as Polly Ricker's,
owned an excellent piece of property.
His features we're very regular. The
lines of his mouth showed firmness,
yet tenderness, and Polly, first look
ing round to see if Aunt Nabby were
''peekin'," had kissed the picture the
very day of our story. Aunt Nabby
was not given, though, to ''peekin'."
That very moment she was frying
doughnuts because Polly liked them.
The other picture on the mantel- piece
was that of an honest, reliable soul /;
but Polly had no Affection for him.
She was a visitor under the roof, and
in the two weeks that her visit had
stretched across, she had not learned
very much about the history of beings
whose only presence was that Of pic
lures. Had notAunt Nabby said that
this plain sensible face belonged to a
sailor, young captain9
ooh, the other is seaman only ;
but l had rather marry q handsome
sailor than homely, stiff captain,
was Polly's opinion.
She sighed.
She was thinking that the handsome
sailor was only Cousin Joe. She hest
tated moment, kissed the photo
graph again and then went downstairs
to look out of window fronting the
sea and to pity sailors.
Everybody in the neighborhood haC
something to do with the sea, which
was only bit of way off and KEEP
pounding night and day on the rocks,
making all the fuss it could to attract
as much attention as possible. IL
keep this unruly sea in any kind o.
subsection every one must do some
thing. Uncle Ronald Kicker was tn,
keeper of the yellow life-saving sta
ton on the rim OF the gray sands.
Uncle Ronald was big, burly
pood-natured kind OF fellow. Aun
Nabby was slim, slender woman
whose thoughts were quick-moving
derting cut like swallows wings, an,
her eye sparkled like run of brool
water the day the spring has lifted tn
lid Of ice covering it.
Said Uncle Ronald to Aunt Eabb
in the hearing OF Polly at the window
'T'd like TO have you, Nabby, clea
up at the station, if yon will, swee
round and so on. Nothin' doin' Their
in summer, but want to keep thing
sort Of slicked up. and I'll low 20
pay for it. I've got to be off to m
later patch t'other side of the bac
pastur'"