Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1897-03-18
HER CHOICE.
Nay, but you. who do not love her'
Is she not pure gold, my mistressf

scientious attempts to not have her IN
evidence when guests were about, ana
her father feebly seconded her efforts by
irving to keep ont of Polly's way. The
undertaking was, nevertheless, nope
less. Polly, standing wistfully at the
nursery window. made prudent resoiu-
tions vanish like chat. Polly, az
Cherry Ripe going to church, was the
enoh ting thing Of the day. When
newcomers first caught glimpses OF her
wheeling her doll carriage or playing
with the pup, they were useless for
further purposes of entertainment until
the first novelty Of intercourse with
Polly wore of.
"Her conversa tiOn alone Is worth the
price If admission" condescended =
cousin Of Polly's. second year at Yale.
When Polly grew, horribly spoiled,
of course-petulant exacting, fairly
generous, warm hearted, openly truth
ful-she was SO beautiful that every
thing was permitted t. her. She was
clever enough TO keep even men whose
appreciation was worth something de-
voted to her.
The time naturally came when two
out of the crowd of worshipers were dis
tancing all competitors. Polly knew her
world and foresaw the inevitable deci-
sion she would presently be called upon
to make. She Intended to marry for love,
being much too clever to be willing to
miss that happir ess. She was determin-
ed to get out of life all that was in it.
"What comfort it is to be prettyl"
she thought contentedly. "Then really
nice men fall in love with one How
dreadful to have to choose from impos-
sible creaJu resi-
One vi the men WAS al artist. de
loved Polly's beauty Her soul was Of
no moment. But Polly did not know
this. II did not occur to her that any
one would dare 10 separate the two.
The other II. an loved the inner Polly.
He reveronced her beauty, as he did all
beauty and truth and the other things
worthy men worship. And Polly did
not know the difference between the two
loves.
There was tender poetry in the
artists wooing, which was very sweet
TO her.
He had way of gently touching her
hair and quoting:
Holds earth au ,ht-speak truth-above her
Above this tress and this touch,
But cannot praise, love so muchS
which went to Polly's heart. Yet the
constant referring To "a strong, serious
nature. which the other man unques-
tionably attributed to her. kept her in
rarer atmosphere than, but for the slim
illus of his personality, she could have
breathed in. She felt this always, but
naturally more keenly when the other
man was with her.
The futures the two men offered her
were vastly different The artist drew
winning pictures of a beautiful, dreamy
old world life. drifting in Venice, driv-
ing through the Wordsworth land, 60
ing from German villages to the boule-
ward fetes, from the enchantment OF
Swiss lakes 10 the Land of the Midnight
Sun, and everywhere living a lover ex-
istence Of Glove and beauty and de-
light. "
But the other man spoke Of working
day world, of place where men and
women and pitiful children needed help
and succor. He drew her into the life Of
the worse half of the world and showed
her its need. He made her hear the cry
of children wanting bread, made her ace
girls like herself ground into awful
fates, and through it all she felt his love
about her protecting, comforting, inf
nitely tender and believing.
Meantime the summer was passing.
The cooling breezes of early September
brought fresh joys. The artist took Pol
ly canoeing, and the other man, who
was very boyish and enthusiastic, rowed
Of his feelings in IA single scull.
After all, it was little thing which
decided Polly. One afternoon Polly was
making tea on the lawn while the rival
contestants were playing tennis. She
looked unusually beautiful, and when
the set was over the artist made several
sketches of her. One of them he called
"Over the Teacups," in playful love for
the dear waiter. He afterward painted
1T in, and in few days showed it to
Polly.
II don't like it at all, F." she objected.
ut is the portrait of heartless girl"
"What does it natter" he said.
with such holy beauty as yours. you
could he anything you liked. No one
expects you to be anything but beauti-
full. ~
Miss Polly Pemberton was not slow.
great many things came back to her
AS she looked at him for a moment.
Then she smiled vaguely.
'One man does, p" she said sweetly.
"The man l am going to marry-not
you, you know He thinks me true and
good. But it does not matter to you, does
it?'
"Is it Ferris?' asked the artist.
Yes, /" said Polly, and so she was ir-
revocably committed Ferris one coher-
ent remark was that it was better to
win her by u fuke than not ut LEX
change.
Longfellow's Little Boy.