The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-11-23
How Polly Came to Blue Sky

Blue OhS sotlt CdIll6 III IIG DQChDOctAA
with the weeks provisions and the mail
bag and the Sergeant.
Once the Sergeant had run away from
Blue Sky and his native redwoods, and
had gone for a soldier boy; but the ma
laria nipped him somewhere around
Matanzas, and they had sent home what
was left of him, and given him the mail
route from Blue Sky to Yuba CITY. ne
had never felt really grateful to MS
country for the favor until the day Pony
rode with him as passenger over the OLD
stage road.
1t is over 20 miles, and the mornings
are glorious down in the canyons, Wnsfe
the pines shoot up above your nead IKE
huge tropical palms, and the redWoods
whisper to each other in the mist
Wreaths that cling to them from the
dawn. Twenty odd miles, ana the ser
geant is good to look upon Even 6lue
Sky was proud of him, in a klndlga lOt-
giving way. 1t never quite forgot that
he had deserted it once for the music
of the drum. But he was good 10 iuoh
upon-built along the same INES as d
mountain Hon-sinewy and long hInbeQ
and easy, with yellow hair and graylsh
eyes Not handsome, perhaps, put d
clean-handed brainy youngster, with
plenty of grit and GOOD temper Ike
they breed out there in the WOODS
Before they had gone ten miles Polly
had told him she was from Indiana
Aldensville. Ind, named after her
eyr6at-Rra ndtdLleE. 6S, she Was MISC
Alden. No she didn't think shed be
lonesome in California. She liked the
trip real well, and she thought the
CANYONS were beautiful, and Joe said
her nome would be right up on the
side of the most beautiful. He had
written her all about CANYONS. Thefe
was big ravine back of the corn field
at home, deep and rocky, and Joe said
canyons were like that, only about
seventeen hundred times bigger.
Maybe the sergeant knew Ioe-Mr;
Joseph Studley. She guessed he owned
a fine mine at Blue Sky.
The sergeant stared Wistfully at the
tips of his horses ears, and wished
deep in his heart that neither he nor
Blue Sky had ever heard of Joe Stud
ley. But he had, he told her He
knew him quite we'll He believed he
did have an interest in mine. Oh.
YES, he was we'll known in Blue Sky
a prominent citizen.
Polly sighed contentedly. Joe had
written that he was doing splendidly,
but it was sweet to hear his praise from
another's lips The sergeant asked cas-
ually if Mr.. Studley was an relation,
and the question sent the telltale color
to her cheeks like a danger signal. Not
exactly, she said. They'd been engaged
going on three years-ever since Joe had
left Aldensville. He had wanted her to
come out with him then, but mother and
the folks said she was too young. She
was 20 now. Unconsciously her head
tilted with trifie more dignity. They
were going to be married as soon as she
reached Blue Sky. Joe had place all
fixed for her.
For over a mile the sergeant was 81
lent He felt overwhelmed by the pure,
natural cussedness of things in general,
and of Joe Studleys manner of manag-
ing his private affairs in particular And
with the imperSonal view of mitigating
the general cussedness as much as lay
in his power, he made the rest of the
drive as interesting and pleasant as pos
sible for the poor little girl from Aldens-
vile, Ind.
1t was interesting. When the buck
board drove up in front of the Central
hotel, at Blue Sky, it was happy, pink
checked stranger whom the sergeant
carefully assisted to alight. And later,
when he left her under the wing of Mrs.
Tully, guardian mother spirit of the no.
tel and the whole camp, it was not of
Joe she thought, but of the sergeant and
his gray eyes, that held smile in the
corners.
But the sergeant had his own stern
ideas of duty, and he made his way
without hesitation to the rough, ram
shackle shack of Mr. Studley, the one
ashamed to own as a citizen. If he had
been out and out bad it would have
been easy to finish him up.
But Joe Studley was different. He
came to us. and set up as something a
little extra. We wouldn't have been
angry, or surprised, even, if he'd sprung
evangelism in quiet way But he
didn't He Just deliberately won our
confidence, and then turned out to be
the meanest man that ever came over
the trail.
The shack was full of the smoke
from frying salt pork, and the sergeant
did not enter Joe lounged in the door
way. and waited with mild-eyed ex-
pectancy.
shes come" said the sergeant. 'Ane
she wants to see you. 1 left her down
with Mrs. Tully. She expects to be
married today"
so do l." said Joe
The sergeant's shoulders stfffened.
through YOU he said There's a wife
down at Yuba looking for you now.
And there are a few unsettled personal
accounts right here in Blue Sky which
might be pushed against you with
little persuasion on my part. I didn't
come up to deliver any message from
Miss Alden. just came to say it was
your call to clear out after you've ex-
planned matters down at the Central to
her. No arguments or presuming on
old acquaintance, just explanations as
to why you're not able to tie up with
a new Mrs. Studley. Then you can get
what viii become of Polly?'
The. sergeant hesitated for the first time
and his gaze softened its severity.
Shell be treated right and proper" he
said I guess Blue Sky can look after
1t was a bloodless victory for the ser
geant. He marched Joe down to the
presence of Polly and stood guard while
explanations were made. They were not
needed. Mrs. Tully had been doing mis-
sionary worl. in his absence, and the
character of Mr.. Studley was like a fire.
blackened prairie when she finished.
Polly was not hystercal. She was cool
and serene, and a little amused at the
bearded awkward camp-lounger Joe, Of
AIdensvi1le, had developed into. She lis
tened snilingly to the explanations. and
when they We're all told she turned to
the sergeant and asked when he made the
return trip to Yuba City.
But when another rose dawn broke over
Blue Sky the shack up in the canyon was
vacant and later advices from Yuba told
of Joes swift departure with the Mrs.
Studley of that point.
And Polly fingered. growing prettier ana
roster every day with the winds that stole
down from the mountains, and the pure,
piney air of the canyon. Each time he
came up from Yuha City the SERGEANT .old