The Newtown bee., 1898-09-16

the DrO0K through Tue QlnElS 10 Gue meau~
ow," said the storekeeper, "but the rail-
road spoiled all that" ~.s
The brook, the pretty walk, the rail-
road and the culvert remained in PollY's
happened to say: mo, we are too busy
with the hay to take you to the big
meadow this morning" So Pleasant
Polly wandered away in the tall grass
looking for wild flowers. ~
Presently she came to singing
brook that in the spring time
when the ass was short, had
been torrent. Just then long express
train went laundering over the high en-
bankment of the railroad and Polly's
memory was refreshed.
''There's the railroad and here's the
brook she tb ought. '1Mr Smith said it
was a pleasant walk go III go now and
find the culYert and see it carry the water
under the railroad"
Away she tripped through the ferns as
high and higher than her head, tearing
her blue gown, scratching her bare hands
and arms and wetting her small feet as
shei crossed the thread of stream, now
atlow-w alter mark, or even walked in the
pebbly bed until the railroad was reach
ed.
There at the bottom of the high sandy
1 bank covered with coarse green broom
was solid wall of masonry with an
arch-like passage for the trickling brook.
"Oh," laughed the little girl; "that
must be the culvert. How funny! [
thought it was something alive. should
think the brook would be afraid to 60
through, but it has to 60. | wonder II il
is dark in there?"
Polly ventured to the very entrance,
mo, rot SO very, and can stand up in
it as IL it was fairies house. I should
think they would like to live in there, it
is so cool. 1 am so warm guess will
go with the brook little way"
Polly ia a woman now, but she remem-
| bers still the delicious spirit of adventure
that seized upon her that day and that
mingled with rapturous fear as she en-
tered the arch of mystery. Little min
nows flashed in the clear water, tiny pale
green ferns had taken root in the crevices
of mortar, here and there, and over all
was a coating Of emerald moss.
chow lovely it u.s." sighed Polly,
Away ahead there Is star, and what
can that be in the water that shines so
Oh, I wish had brought my doll, and
don't see why never have known about
culverts before. ought to go back, but
the brook doesn't; it goes through.
am going little bit nearer the star, any
way. Oh! oh! oh! Here is what shone
So" .'.' 81
Polly stopped to pick it from the clear
water.
The bit of glass she expected to find
was the crystal of a much-corroded
watch, and hanging to it was long,
heavy, erudely made chain of yellow
gold. ,.,..,.. 81, .,-tr- ~ IF, -
"Ohl" cried Pleasant Polly, 'that's
nay cramps. I'll go and carry it home
this minute; won't he be gladP" g..
She started to run, slipped upon the
Shiny mold and fell into the thread OF a
brook. Scrambling up confused, she
looked this way and that. There was q
star In both directions now, and without
stopping to reason at all, she ran.
When she again reached the brightness
and warmth of the sunny July morning
Everything was strange. Instead of the
ldiDgle abe had left to 90 a little, way
with the brook, there was the open sky
and q sea of tall, waving grass. !. Her
feet sank into the wet, sponRy turf and,
she sought for a dry, snre foothpld.,
When this was reached she looked back
for the mouth Of the culvert, but the
grass and shrubbery had sprung back
intoplace. completely hiding it from
sight. at..o.n t8att stft N ars95
Utterly bewildered, as to her wherea.
boUtF, she said: 7sssThat couldn't have
been the culyert !; IL must have been g.
fairy house, and they, have turned me
out and shut the door, but I've got the
chain, and III keep it for my gramp'.-
He'll humane up pretty soon, so 1 won't
begin to cry ~ ,,,l.s
She wandered on. The birds few all
about her head, the grasshoppers and
crickets lighted on her torn blue gown,
and Polly was sure they were trying to
make her feel at home among them.
Soon she heard buzzinR noise, and
looking saw something dig and black
coming towards her. 81
For moment only was ahe frighten-