Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1898-10-01

snd touching sfE-r. Marshall. want
TO tell yen somethin- 1 don't like this
way of Twin I've never been very hap
| py. Mother died when i wac o slip of
q girl. father he died before that. and
I've took care of mothers father ever
since. There amt n~rh grandness
| about we uns here, is thCS,? So don {
know where it comes from, but l al
ways feel like was meant for better
things l feel like I'd be happy some
where's else, somewheres where ii is
grand and fine, and people are polite
and cheerful; where could DO lady
born and hold up my own in a sphere.
as you call il. Don't tell me 1 read il
outen books; don't. When | read in
books bout the kind of person I'd
like to be l shat the book Up and don t
read no more. L guess people like I'd
| like to be wouldn't have gran fathers
that make matches for them, would
they? It's sinful, it 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, 81 know I'm takin liberties
But L don't mean TO- 1 amt got any
body to talk to. If talked to the wom-
en- folks around here they'd only laugh
at me, and please never mention FL to
me, please don't suppose I'll marry
him-of course wi1l-some time But
please don't be like gran father aud the
rest and think me a pore, ignorant. silly
thing without will of my own And
never mention FL and marriage to
me-"
~ will not, - he answered
Polly" called her grandfather,
"somephin's scorchin- I smell 'em.''
She few 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. II 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 a 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, "El's went away for a
month You have saw him for the last
time for a matter of Tower weeks
You've druv him off"
81 don't think so, i" she replied quiet
/ A.. "He told me he was goin north to
buy some machinery for the mill-that
the stream wasn't to be depended on nc
longer
That's his perlite way o. putin ii
to you; anyways he'll be back in time
for the weddin-last o. June. So git
your gownd ready She returned nc
word to this, but calmly went on with
her dinner. Marshall felt like throttline
the grandfather. He tried to give Polly
a reassuring 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 the netmaker to his eter-
nal meshing, willy nilly.
"She got co do it, !" the old man grum-
bled 'She sham shilly shally no more
| Curious how women is A. month or
two sence and she never complained q
word. but would do jest like wanted
| her to do. Then she must git wild to so
| way a spell Lord knows what she
done, for when she comes back the
| change comes with her. But it's FL.
She gev him her promise, and it's Ell
and in June Ain he got good house?
Amt he prosperous young Teller? No
low down, hand to mouth man, he
AIM +"
But
''No buts,'' the blind man cried,
brooking no interruption I'm tellin
family secrets. know, but I dunno as
keer to be advised in 'eln.'
81 was merely about to ask You who
buys your nets?" languidly said Mar
shall
The old man viciously tugged at his
cords and refused to answer any irrele-
want questions
Marshall sauntered down to the pad
dock where Polly came TO milk the COW.
He pitied her, but he dared not say a
word Still he could keep near her now
and then, and if she were not as sodden
as 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
| pathizer.
Several evenings he was down there
when she came She would say a word
now and then, smiling wanly. Having
such good chance to see her face in a
bright light be found that she looked
| paler than she had been when he had
first taken up his abode in the house
Then he found that the pail of milk was
heavy for her-she the strong one. Once
he offered to carry the pail for her. She
repulsed 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
had promised to marry. Had any one
| the right to interfere, to feel so interest
ed as to be more than indignant? At
any rate Polly faded more rapidly than
| 8