The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-03-31
CHAPTER II.

1hOmas DeXter's Romance.
The slight reference to the arrow
which many years ago had found its
way 10 Thomas Dexter's heart fur.
nishes material for detaiI-wLich shall
be brief as wOman's love.
Yes, Thomas Dexter had had his To-
nance.
| The scene was Clare Market, the time
! twelve years ago. He was treating
himself to cheap stroll through the
| busy thOrOughfares when, stopping for
moment at vegetable stall, his
| eyes suddenly met the eyrs OF Polly
| Clcaver.
She was no stranger 10 him, being a
native Of the locality. He must have
! seen her thousands Of times, ana he
had never given her thought; GER
| tainly il never entered his mind 10 pay
| her the slightest attention.
But bis time had now arrived-and
the woman. A magnetic spark flashed
| from Polly's eyes into his. Thomas
DeXter's heart was lost, and Polly
Clcaver was the winner.
Love is blind; but 10 be blind is not
necessarily to be foolish.
MOrtals deprived OF sight are, as q
rule, shrewd enough. Some are cum
ming; some are cruel; few are thor
oughly simple.
Love is an exception however, being
frequently foolish as well as blind
OF course it was Saturday night IL
any prince in disguise wished 10 seek
for adventure in London street, lot him
| select Saturday night for the enter
| prise.
Then come out the toilcrs and moil-
| ers, the pleasure-seekers, the pain
rcapers.
Girls who have been at work all the
week fit about like butterflies, and en.
| JOY blssful moments meeting their
lovers, and helping TO fill the theatres
and music halls.
The streets and public houses are
thronged; the sky is lurid with the re.
| Election Of myriad gas jets.
From the garrets and the cellars
creep strange figures into the light-the
! old, the dccrept, the solitary drinker,
the stranger among millions, the man
whom nobody knows, the child whom
nobody owns, the wretch in hiding, the
undiscovered murderer. 1t is the hOl-
day hour of the week.,
Polly Cleavcr was not alone Her
father was by her side, with n glass or
| two, or more correctly speaking, the
| contents Of a pewter pot or two in him.
In which respect Polly was his match,
and therefore, prudence might have
| suggested, no match for Thomas DeX-
ter. But when was love prudent?
The girl was not even pretty, and she
and her family were certainly not re-
spectacle. All sorts OF queer stories of
polly's "goings on were current
Thomas ClCavcr did not think of this
when he went home on that Saturday
night with the image of Polly Cleaver
in bis minds eye.
Polly Clcaycr-Polly Cleaver! He
could think Of nothing but Polly
| Clcaver.
What eyes she had! What n COM
plcXion! What laughing mouth,
what large white teeth. lie idealizcd
every feature in her face, every move
mcnt Of her body. The man was pos
| sCsscd.
lie passed bad night, and he might
have had fever had he not found his
way to Polly Cloaver'S lodgings on the
| following day, which in the natural
order of time was Sunday.
Mr.. Cleaver, who had been all his life
carpenter out of work. met Thomas
Dexter on the stairs, as that lovelorn
mortal was mounting to the second
! floor back, in which the Cleaycrs re-
| sided.
"Hallow cried Mr.. Cleaver. what
! brings you hereg'
What could Thomas Dexter reply TO
this straight thrust except, I've come
! TO see how Polly is"
(To he Continued)