Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1898-01-06

w
death.
I 1t was May now and little flowers
sprang up about his feet.
There was a lowly house. an old man
sitting before it's threshold weaving
nets. A younger and preternaturally
white man as to complexion and garb
talked with the older. The younger was
evidently a miller.
cts now she will, and now she
WON'T" grumbled the young man.
"Put it t'other way" said the net
maker; "it's now she won't and now
she will. Polly always will at the
last; won't amt her onliest word. y
just then Marshall came up.
The miller cast look at him and
slouched off beating his boot with his
whip. The netmaker raised his head
and Marshall saw that his eyes were
sightless
"Where can find lodging?" que
ried the homeless man.
The netmaker resumed his mending.
"That depends on what you call lodg-
ing. By your voice you're GENT
II call lodging what you call lodg-
ing, interrupted Marshall.
"Polly!" screamed the netmaker
with alacrity, "Polly, come a-here!''
"What you want?' cried on irritable
voice inside. Gel there yet?"
Putty way to answer your gran ia
Their. What you mean? Tain t Ell. He's
went. Come and see what I want.
Here's gent that'll take the second
story front often your hands,
In the doorway stood a plain pallid
faced girl Of medium height and frail
figure, mass of unkempt, ash colored
hair blowing about her head.
Ill you come see the room, them"
said she, with startling abruptness.
"I'll engage it without seeing it, IRE
turned Marshall, on the defensive.
She looked at him oddly, her light
blue eyes doubtful. She reached and
took his bag out of his hand.
81 cannot, he said in tone of voice
which would have made those who knew
him laugh-"I cannot on any account
permit you to carry my bag''
The blind grandfather guffawed.
She's stronger n she looks, he said.
"She's made quick bargain bout the
room. Let her carry the bag''
Marshall bore it in and on to the
second story front, Polly toiling up
the stairs back of him.
He took in the meagerly furnished
apartment.
81 wonder if I am in my sphere
now?' he murmured
"Whaten?"
He had forgot Polly. He turned and
found her regarding him
II do not need you" he said.
'Thank you for carryin the bag, y she
stammered and was gone
Strange to say, her words startled
Marshall. He had discovered something
for the first time in his life-a girl was
grateful to him that he had recognized
his physical strength as superior to her
own.
He soon had occasion to ascertain that
no one considered her weaker than the
strongest Not her blind grandfather,
who, sitting by the door weaving his
nets, babe her bring in loads Of wood,
and the like, which would have been
enough for two such as she; not Ell
Drear, the moon faced miller to whom
she had plighted herself, but whom she
refused to marry in the coming June,
although in the winter she had prom
Used to do so.
Somehow me and her gran daddy
cain t make her do it nohow. said the
miller to Marshall when he had poured
into the city man S ears the story Of his
woes after that same city man had with
much freedom asked the lover the mean
ing of very noticeable GOODNESS on the
part of the lady of his choice.
II CANT make herp' her grandfather
cried. "It'll be the first time, then.
Didn't I make her see your points, Ell?
Her go ag in me, indeed!"
Here was tragedy. In the presence
of tragedy all men are equal Marshall
had found his sphere. He looked over
at Polly gathering vegetables in the
garden, sunbonnet obscuring her face,
and she was the heroine of the tragedy.
Good for that, he would study the hero
inc. He did SO in his desultory fashion,
He watched her for several weeks. All
at once it dawned upon him that he
had seen her before he had come to her
home.
Merciful powers" he exclaimed,
"were she and affinities in some pre-
vious state of existence!'
Mr.. Marshall" said she one day,
when, smoking his cigar, he stood out
side the kitchen window leaning on the
sill, she ironing inside, "I'm obliged to
tell you somethin. I was to Katco and
one time I saw you givin the children
money"
Her face was red, perhaps from her
labors. He recollected the passing of
the serious girl at Katco-that, then,
was the previous state of existence It
was disappointing.
Upon my word, Polly" said he,
II rather thought you We're not I'M
known to me. remembered you with
out being able to place you.
"Did you now" she asked excitedly,
really and truly?"
Really and truly" he answered sol
emily, "and I am sorry that it was at
no anterior date to Katco. And now I'll
tell Won why T am 1oitarinp ou+cido