The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-11-12
John MafshaI's Sphere.
o. ROBERT q. Y. XEYERs.

Ho turned his eyes away from the
sad creature in the kitchen. On the
other side Of the stream that washed
the end Of the garden he could see the
mill where the miller loaded his cart
Tho blind old netmaker crooned song
rs he meshed his cords around on the
step.
"Mr. Marshallr'
Polly stood in the kitchen close to
the window, her eyes rod and swollen,
her face extraordinary plain with the
marks of grief upon it, yet plaintive
and touching. "Mr Marshall, I want
to tell you somethin. I don't like this
way of Twin. Two never been very hap
by. Mother died when was slip of
o girl, father he died before that, and
I've took care Of mothers father ever
since. There amt much grandness
about we uns here, is there? So l don't
know where it comes from, but al
ways feel like I was meant for better
things feel like I'd be happy some
where's else, somewheres where 1t Is
grand and fine, and people are polite
and cheerful; where could be lady
born and hold up my own in a sphere,
as you call it, Don't tell me I read it
outen books; l don't. When read in
books bout the kind Of a person I'd
like to be shut the book up and don't
read no more. I guess people like I'd
like to be wouldn't have ran'fathers
that mako matches for them, would
they? It's sinful, 1t is awful. Why
couldn't it be only love that makes
matches? People like you don't get
forced to marry, now do they?" Mar
shall only looked at her. "There," she
went on, IT know I'm takin liberties.
But l don't mean to. Iain't got any
body to talk to. If l talked to the woln-
on folks around here they'd only laugh
at me, and please never mention Fl to
mo, please don't. I suppose III marry
him-of course I will-some time But
please don't DO like gran father and the
rest and think me pore, ignorant, silly
thing without will of my own. And
never mention Ell and marriage to
me-"
81 will not" he answered.
"Polly," called her grandfather,
"somephin's scorchin. smell 'em.'
She flew to the iron she had thrown
aside, from under which assembled
smoke as from a sacrifice Marshall left
the window and walked along the mar
gin of the stream that gave the mill its
motor power. 81 am even experiencing
sensations" unused he. "And, heaven
help the girls innocence, fathers are
fathers all the world over-sometimes
grandfathers.
He saw Polly at dinner. She was
cheerful and peaceful as lady would
have been who had gone through an ex-
perience such as hers and desired to
blind the witness of her downbreak.
polly" said her grandfather at the
end of the meal, GELS went away for a
month. You have saw him for the last
time for matter of Tower weeks.
You've druv him Off.
II don t think so," she replied quiet
ly. "He told INC no was goin north to
buy some machinery for the mill-that
the stream wasn't to be depended Oh no
longer"
"That's his perlite way o. putin it
to you; anyways he'll be back in time
for the weddin-last O. June. So git
your gownd ready" She returned no
word to this, but calmly went on with
her dinner. Marshall felt like throttling
the grandfather. He tried to give Polly
a rcassuring glance, but she would not
raise her eyes from her plate. Then he
thought it best to protect her from any
more Of the old mans onslaught just
then, so he led tho netmaker to his eter-
nal meshing, willy nilly.
"She got TO do it, " tho old man grum-
blcd. "She shan't shilly shally no moro.
Curious how women is. A month or
two sence and she never complained a
word, but would do jest like wanted
her to do Then she must git wild to go
way spell, Lord knows what she
done, for when she comes back the
change comes with her. But it's Ll.
Shc ger him her premise, and it's FL
and in June. Mn t he got good house?
Amt no d prosperous young Teller? No
low down, hand to mouth man, he
amt"
"But''-
"No butts" tho blind man cried,
brooking no interruption. "Im tellin
family secrets, l know, lut dunno as
kecr to be advised in en-.
IL was merely about TO ask you who
buys your nets?" languidly said Mar
shall.
Tho old man viciously tugged at his
cords and refused to answer any irrele-
want questions,
Marshall sauntored down to the pad
dock where Polly came to milk the COW.
He piticd her, but he dared not say a
word Still he could keep near her now
and then, and if she were not as sodden
US her surroundings she would under
stand his sympathy.
Pretty soon he saw her coming with
her stool and pail, She nodded, but took
no further notice of him, caught the
COW, did the milking, went to the house
again, and never a word to her SYM
puthizcr.
Several evenings he was down there
when sLo came. She would say word
now and then, smiling wanly. Having
such good chance to see her face in q
bright light he found that she looked
paler than she had been when he had
first taken up his abode i'll the house.
Then he found that the pail of milk was
heavy for hor-sho tho strong one. Once
he offered to carry the pail for her. She
rcpulscd him coldly and walked away
with it.
He believed that she had wakeful
nights and days of bitter thought, and
all because she did not love the man she
bad promised to marry. Had any one
the right to interfere, to feel so interest
ed as to be more than indignant? At
nny ratio Polly faded more rapidly than
the month of May.
June came and tho miller Ho was
filled with determination. The first
visit he made he spoke of the wedding.
- 81 como earlicrn I'd 'spccted," he
said, "but | wanted to git to Memphis