The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1907-01-15

wig! Well, now, p'raps life in these
ere digs II be worth living once
mere" she added grinning, with ap-
parent inconsequence.
Casersate laughed Then it oc-
Cured to him that he had had enough
of her chatter.
II expect the postman is about tired
of waiting for that receipt" he said,
by way of a hint.
While he was thinking the matter
over, and wondering who his anony-
nous benefactor could be, there came
loud knock at his door-an aggres-
sive, imperilous sort of knock; and
without waiting for the formality of
his Come in" Mrs. Bapkins, in
landlady, flounced into the room.
About that little matter of fifteen
twelve-six, as yer owes me- Mr.. Case
mate" she began, setting her arms
akimbo and shifting defiantly.
"Ah, yes," re replied quietly, hand
ing her the ESQ note. Here you are.
You can pay yourself out of this and
let me have the change and the re-
ceipt in the morning"
| In about three-quarters of an hour
Polly brought up a steak flanked by
mashed potatoes and bottle of stout.
The girls face wore a broad grin.
She, too, was quite alive to the
humors of the situation-nodding
meaningly at the unwonted luxuries,
and then thrusting her tongue into
her cheek and deliberately winking at
Casemate.
my! amt missis in a heavenly
humor, though" she remarked, as
she hustled about. laying the table,
"Cherubims and seraphims amt in it
with her. Ho yuss. It's like the
Garding of Eden in the basement
Just now"
Like most highly impressionable
men, the same acute sensitiveness
that made Casemate quick and easy
fortune rendered him susceptible of
equally sudden elation at the smallest
stroke of good luck. In a few months
his feet were well on the high road to
distinction and affluence.
Although he was soon in the po-
sition to afford more expensive and
comfortable quarters, Casemate still
remained in the old lodgings. But, in
the course of a month or two, the
good woman was again very much
n 4 l,sn a. %
mate, the lodger, but Polly, the
slavey, who was the delinquent.
Polly had the inpudence to contract
pneumonia and worse than that, by
the time the doctor was sent for. the
girl had the unparalleled cheek to be
too i'll to be moved.
Mrs. Bankins was very much in
censed and inveighed against Polly
and pitied herself. in no measured
terms.
Tut, tut" said Casemate, much
concerned tbeing a kind-hearted fel.
low, not, of course, for the selfish
and unfeeling landlady, but for the
unfortunate Polly. Pm sorry to hear
the, poor girls SO ill-very sorry. Look
here. Don't you worry about expense
Mrs Bapkins. Just you engage &
nurse and procure whatever the doc
tor orders, and I'll pay for it ALL"
But, in spite of everything being
done for her, Polly got rapidly worse
On the third day the doctor pro,
nounced he condition hopeless. Mrs
Bapkins was in a terrible state of min
and pitied herself more than ever
Polly was actually going to have th'
audacity to die in her house.
Late that evening, while he wal
busy in an article he was writing
there came a tap at his door, Th
nurse entered,
'"The poor girls gone, sir" she said
She passed away about an hour age
Before she became unconsci
Gus, she asked me to give you this arte
she was dead. It's about her funeral
| believe, and the settlement of he
small effects. She told me that, a
she had no friends or near relatives
and as you'd always been kinder t
her than anyone else, she would lik
you to do this for her-if you would.
AS the nurse spoke, she handed hiI
a small packet, which, as soon as h
was alone, he proceeded to open.
contained an i'll spelled letter. i
Polly's sprawling, childish handwrit
ing, and a postoffice savings ban
book. The letter was dated some day
previous, and ran as follows:
Deer Sir-You woan't get this L
I'm ded. It's to say will you pleas
see as I'm berried decent. There
nine pounds left in the bank. Tha
will pay for it. / engclose my ban
book And, Deer Sir, there's sum
think else as yer'll see if yer looks a
the book. But yer mustn't be angry
sir. Cose / done it for yer good an
cos / cooden help-l cooden really, 81
caring for yer as l never cared fo