The progress., 1904-06-11

such outrageous things about you. Il
1t a habit of yours to whistle up your
dog and stalk from the room In the
midst of all the proposals.
Its because they make such blun-
der Of it," said Polly. Il know how II
should be DONE"
You're not SO pretty" said Pearson,
disapprovingIy.
moi" plaintively.
you're little, and you're brown"
EYES," more plaintively.
Then, y"-irritably-"doe
everything in mans shape go down be-
fore your"
| Il don't know; but"-sorrowfully- =
| "they do. I-I"-she sighed heavily
"fell the bearded mep at breath, ard
the youths that grow between. But
perhaps you aren't familiar with Long
fellow?" Polly was gone, and her low,
mocking laughter drifted back to
Pearson. ~
In the deep midnight stiffness Pear.
son sat by his window to hear voics
50 remote and sweet as windtlown
bell singing, siren-like, the words COM
ing family: "And looked at my sweet
little Polly till looked my heart
away" He half smiled, half sighed. Tie
little Polly had no heart.
The morning wind fiuttered his win
dow blinds, and straight to his bed
side, borne on the joyously dancing
curtains that streamed out like a
brides veil, came Polly's voice, lifting.
sweet: "And If ever you missed tho
sunshine" she sang, you'd find 1t in
Polly's hair"
Some little time later Pearson ran
down the stairs and entered the dining
room with a schoolboy swagger He was
not old u no man was old when Polly
sang forshim like that.
That night. when Pearson puffed
smoke-rings on the side porch and
looked across the barbed wire at Polly
and her followers. who were very.
very gay, he felt like an aged Peri lis
tening at heavens side entrance.
Pearson had closed the door to his
heart and rolled big stone against it,
telling himself he was done with wonl-
ankind forever, as far back as Polly's
pinafore days.
Polly came to the barbed wire some
times, but she made no attempt to leap
over it. Always she was very, very
gay, and after her going Pearson count
ed up his birthdays, ran his fingers
through the hair turning gray on his
temples, and called himself an old, old
fool
The twilight hour that Polly leaned
over the wire to pin rose that had
burned in the coils of her golden hair
on Pearsons coat she sang something
tender and foolish about the rose being
her heart.
Your heart" Pearson chided; cts
asleep, little child"
Its his heart that sleeps" said
Polly. "The little white guest cham
ber that is mine has its door ajar, but
he won't come in, ever"
Afterwards he crept up to his room
to drop his arms on his desk and his
head on his arms and sat there while
night gathered deep and deeper into
the room.
Pearson stumbled down the stairs,
that echoed to his footsteps, the empty,
lonely stairway over which no WON"
ans soft draperies ever trailed, and
out on the porch, there to find Polly ON
the top step.
He sank down beside her. What
-
side entrance of Heaven, straining
their ears to catch the music when
they know it is never possible for them
to slip in; what becomes of middle
aged Peris, Polly?
II don't know" said Polly; "but
know what should become Of them
scornfully. why doesn't your Peri go
around to the front? Perhaps she
hasn't any spirit, either, his heroine;
perhaps she sits on the doorstep and
waits. perhaps"
"Polly!"
"He's-he's a wooden indian" said |
Polly. "He lets the girl sit there OH
his steps and pretend that she's lcok-
ing at the stars. He doesn't care. He
thinks she's a doll-baby stuffed with
sawdust, that she cares for all the
empty, gay, frivolous things that sho
hates; he thinks she likes to be for
ever surrounded by lot of pink
checked, light-headed boys that bore
ler stiff. And all the time she knows
Pm sure l don't know how, for he
acts so queer-that he loves, her, and
hat a little question of arithmetic
roubles him. 1t doesn't really trouble
Ter. The arithmetic of the heart isn't
by years. He's lonely and sad,
md she can put into his life all that it
las missed, but not unasked, and
sometimes she's wild thinking things
,ver." Polly's voice trailed off into
ilence, and she struggled with sob.
The sob acted as an accolade on
PEARSON. 1t raised him into a knight
rrant, bewildered, it's true. but ready
md eager to go to the very ends of the
world, if need be, after this derelict
Who had stolen his little chum's hap
'iness froL her.
He put out his hand and it fell on
'olly's bent head. Polly" he said;
Polly"-helplessly- he were here
eside YOU"
"He is" sobbed Polly.