St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-10-31
A FEMALE CREW.
by ARDEN.

BY ARDEN.
snow which one?" asked Polly. ann
ehe stood on tiptoe that she might de.
termine the point.
She was a plump Polly.
She was a short Polly, and the mantei-
piece 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 u
very positive interest in masculine faces.
She had already decided which one she
would like to marry, and would she have
been surprised if some day. out of that
surface of paper on the mantel-piece,
had broken a voice: "Polly. my dear, as
I love you, will you marry me-?
But he had maintained grave silence
because only picture, for which reason
nobody could claim credit for unusual
discretion of speech for man. Yes.
dumb, dumb. and that gave Polly's
warm affection chill. Then he was
her ''first cousin joe" and kind of a
brother, was he not? That gave her
marrying fever still colder chill. This
young man was very handsome. His
eyes were as expressive as Pollys. and
that is saying good deal. Her eyes
were black. soft and loving. Anyone
that had eyes as handsome as Polly
.Ricker's owned an excellent piece of
property. His features were very reg
ular. The lines of his mouth showed
1irmness. yet tenderness. and Polly.
first looking round to see il 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 visitor under the roof, and in
the two weeks that her visit had
stretched across. she had learned very
much about the history of beings whose
only presence was that Of pictures. Had
Tot Aunt Nabby said that this plain.
sensible face belonged to a sailor. a
young captain?
'Oh, the other is a seaman only; but
j had rather marry a handsome sailor
than a homely, stiff captain" was
polIy's opinion.
She sighed.
She was thinking that the handsome
sailor was only Cousin ice. She hesi-
tated moment. kissed the photograph
again. and then went downstairs to look
out of a window fronting the sea and to
pity sailors.
Everybody in the neighborhood had
something to do with the sea. which was
only a bit of way OF. and kept pound
ing night and day on the rocks, making
all the fuss it could to attract ns much
attention as possible. To keep this un-
ruly sea in any kind of subsection Every
one must do something. Uncle Ronald
Kicker was the keeper Of the yellow life
saving station on the rim of the gray
sands.
Uncle Ronald was big, burly. good
natured kind of fellow. Aunt Nabby
was a slim. slender woman, whose
thoughts were quick moving. darting
out like swallows wings. and her eye
sparkled like a run of brook water the
day the spring has lifted the lid of ice
covering it.
Said Uncle Ronald 10 Aunt Nabby. in
the hearing of Polly at the window:
I'D like to have you. Nabby. clean up
ut the station. il you will. sweep round
and SO on. Nothin' doin' there in sum-
mer. but want to keep things sort Of
slicked up. and I'll low you the pay for
it. I've got to be off to my tater-patch
t'other side of the back pastur'."
II will. Ronald"
Ronald Kicker left the room.
''Polly. soon as / have finished these
ere observation-disclosures ont" cried
Aunt Nabby. Eve will run that life
savin' station this forenoon. They shall
have a female crew to-day. You get the
brooms ready. 1t is worn-out thing
down al the station. Wen be lively and
start soon."
4 small but sprightly broom-brigade
soon charged upon the station and cap
tured il without difficulty. Windows
were thrown up, the brooms set to
whisking, and the dust routed.
The living-room below. the mems
headquarters by day, speedily was
swept. The boatroom, with its appara-
tus of surfboat and breeches-buoy, life
car and Lyle gun. rockets and signals,
received prompt attention, and this floor
also WAS thoroughly swept. Aunt Nab
by remained 10 do some Cleaning out"
behind the door where one Of the other
but less particular crew had ,eft heap
of dirt. Polly, singing away. went up
stairs hopping like robin from step
to steRS landing on the threshold Of
the masculine crews quarters by night.
''The BIDS look all right said Polly,
eying <k et6n beds. neatly covered with
beddiie aseset'in two prim rows along
the noi1feEH and southern walls Of the
room. 81 they look u. right, but
know fAaeemen didn't SWEEP under the
beds. No. before sweep, I'll take
look-off from the lookout On the roof"
This was q platfrom ON the roof, rallied
about. and supporting = fls8staAf. Here
a clear days watch was kept by the
xarfmen. II need be. sigAal could be
sun up - tAe ~ & IT, s04 and aay