The Portland daily press., 1899-01-18
JOE AND POLLY.

"when Joe Peterman and Polly May get
married, " was standing Jest in Pineville.
Joe and Polly lived ON adjoining five
acre lots, with only fence between them.
Ii was not very high fence nor strong
one either, for it was almost rotted down
In many places
ltwas said that years ago Joe and Polly
had been swoethearts, hut that they had
auarreled about some trifling matter, and
that they had not spoken to each other
since that day.
Jonessy had just been elected Justice OF
Pineville and was looking around to see
where the fees of the Office were to come
from.
As there was nothing for him to do in
the office, he thought that ii was his duty
to 20 outside of it and hunt up something
In debating the question with himself as
to what would be most likely to bring him
in a fee. his mind OF course turned to
marriages.
when Joe PetcrInan and Polly May
get married, " h. riuuated TO himself, smh-
ing. "Well, it is duty l owe to this com
munity to end that quarrel Of theirs the
first thing, and it is a duty | owe to my
self To see that they get married as soon
afterward as possible
So Jonessv took walk ont to Joe Pc
ter1nan's place and found the latter az
home.
Joe" he said, after some talk on sub
jects in general; ".Ioe, ] came out to see
you ON official business
.Ioc's eyes flew wide open.
Il haven't been doing anything wrong,
have If' he asked. with trembling voice.
The truth was that Joe had thrown a
brickbat at Pollys cat the night before
and without really intending TO do so had
hit her and booked her out of his favorite
peach tree, and had felt rather mean about
it ever since.
"Well, l don't know, p" Jonessy replied
cautiously. for he could see that Joe had
something ON his mind and thought to
draw him out You see, doc, the right
and the wrong generally depends ON the
circumstances attending the case.
"That's what l rackoncd," said Joe.
"You see l saw her coming through the
fence and tried to make her go back.
"And she wouldn't goy"
mo"
"What did you do next?"
"Soon as | spoke she ran up that peach
tree and went to clawing and scratching
the bark.
''She did, ehf
''She did. Then got mad, like fool, "
said Joe, hanging his head. Il picked
up brickbat and threw it at her, and
down She came, kicking her legs like
drumsticks.
Didn't she say anythingf"
"Who?"
"Why, Polly May, of course. "
you didn't think that it was Polly I
treated that way, did your" asked Joe
NO. hardly. But who was itY"
at was Polly's cat Jonessy. / thought
that perhaps Polly had seen it and gone
TO you and entered "A complaint against
me
NO, she hasn't done it yet, Joe, but
there is no telling how soon she may do
so, " said Jonessy, Then he added conf
dentially, If ] were you, l d go over and
see her and settle the whole thing out of
court
After Jonessy left him Joe stood and
scratched his head for some time. The
whole thing was a puzzle to him. Had
Jonessy known moro than he protended{
If so, had Polly told hims And II Polly
had, was it at her suggestion that Jonessy
had come and told him to go and see herr
1T is ten years since we spoke, he
unused, with "A sad smile, while "a mock
ing bird was singing blithley in a tree
close BY.
Then suddenly he burst out laughing
"The idea of Polly climbing tree, he
cried. And me throwing brickbat at
her, and she falling-ha ha -ha!
But Jonessy walked homeward in quite
different mood Somehow he felt that
his mission had been rather failure. Stil
every once in awhile a CLEAN of hope dart
ed upward, ana he thought that he could
see fee of office afar off.
As he walked along, musing and dream
ing, he found himself suddenly face to face
with a woman carrying huge basket on
her arm.
'How do you do, judge?" she cried
cheerily, letting her basket down to the
ground. Il was real glad to hear that you
was elected. .
THANK you, Polly. was just think
ing about you when you bobbed up, said
Jonessy. Have just been over TO see your
noighbor. Joe Peterman, and was on my
way home with my thoughts full Of both
of you.
Polly frowned
Joe isn't going to have me to coErt, is
Key she asked.
Cant say, Polly. l reckon that de-
ponds as much on you as on him"
"Well, he had no business coming in
through the window like he did, Polly
cried. lit served him only right that the
window fell down ON him like it did and
caught him by the leg. of course when l
grabbed him by the throat to keep him
from squaliing, and he cut me on the
wrist was mad enough TO kill him, but
l kept my temper, and l didn't hurt him
any more than could help" she protest
ed.
But Joe didn ~ Jonessy began
'Of course Joe didn't. Joe never would
listen TO reasonf cried Polly.
But Polly joe = Jonessy began
again.
That's all right, lin Jonessy. You
have Jee's siee of the'story, and l am CO.
ing totell m me, 'Scriea Pealy. issfeer i