The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-12-28
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Polly and the
Death Trap
~ cRAs. SSoNA RED.

COW. A nAa stood o. few feet be-
Mad hsr with his hack against the
sense. He was quito different from
Pony's kind. rs any stranger might
have Cuessed. He was town man
-PoIIT was . mountain girl.
Polly kept busy with her milking
and che man talked volubly. as he
usually did. It was sunset and the
shadow Of night already bad fallen
npon the valley below. giving dus-
Nv hue to the foliage Of the; distant
trees. 1t was the hour when Polly
usually MIXED the ono-horned COW
sn she eyening; and It was not by &C
sidsnE that the man was there. talk
Zig % her. Polly wore no bonnet
ana the mass Of curling brown hair
which hung about her neck and
shoulders was ravishipg in the rich
ness of It's effect. Obviously she was
glad ef the maa's presence. for .
eertaia happiness and 3 certain
amount Of embarrassment. when DO
was near. invariably set her heart
TO Ghunping In q way that caused the
the celor In her ehasks 10 come ana
50 like the giesm OF Q red ripe chez
" In Gtful sunlight.
.PoIiy," said the man. % no rat
Gled On from one SUBJECT 20 another.
without taking the trouble to round
his periods. .'that COW worries me.
think. since she cannot have uni
seyn pair Of horns. it would be nueh
better L ehe had none at all. what
do you think about itH"
~Yes, I think she'd look better
without any. .iess'n she had two sat
reckon she couidR't helP losiF[the
other eae."
..How did she lose 1T, anyway?
.Sha fell into blind ditch and
bYoke it OF tryin' to ges out.
what Is blind ditch. Polly!
~1s's q gulley that has been kivar-
nd over With bresh an stch like.
'aThat's o pretty dangerous seFs
Of thing TO have about the place
isn't lt?.'
.Yes, reckon it is. NsysT know
whore ye're goin' Co Hand some
times. If ye break through sh'
ssesG." s
..I guess II would be veil for Q
chap 70 be- careful In climbing about
ahese hills, then?"
.As rye limited to ye once or twice
already, it's good idea 70 be koor-
Sui In several ways. Mr. Gordon"
"oh, doa's call Ee Mf. Gordon
Pslly, say Maxey. 1t would sound
more Ike you cared little. you
anov. And you do. don't you, Pol
'sy? There's no ono listening. WONT
you tell ne yes?is &.'t}a
But Polly was silent and her very
ailaace assured thesmaa tAas chs die
care. sis.l 4.fa, s4.si
Her task, was soon Eni5hed, ana
Polly arose from the nilSing esse!.
Govdea advanced TO take the pail.
Thh little gallantry he bad psie
regularly every eveains Tor sort-
night; and Polly had como to accept
It ~ @ matter OF course. 30 they
walked along together. she IN heE
simple nature unable TO conceal her
heayt's growing fondneas for this
stranger and he apparently pleased
with her manifested liking.
Later, when the evening meal was
Nnisked; aud Gordon. with the Blake
aamily. sat near the fireplace, he en-
sartnining TIE rest with stories OF
travel and Incidental anecdotes, the
apparItioR Of head and shoulders
at an open window near where Polly
sat caused tile narrator TO pause IN
one Of his Ntories. The head and
ahoulders were those OF . stous
young mountaineer. and the face
would have been one ,marvslously
handsome with the added expression
eY5a cultivated mind. .44a.
At the pause in Gordon's story
polly turned her head; and when her
gaze alighted. upon the man az the
window she lowered her eyebrows.
Ben Martin had been her acknowl
edged lover for long time; and
aow a. she thought Of how her heart
had gone away from him. little
pang Of something like remorse
troubled her bosom.
Ben stood silently casing in the
window for several minutes. then no
spoke In g tone OF voice more that
Of command than OF enIreaty.
"Polly,seI want ye. to come out
hare . minute" be said: there's
something / got to say to you"
The girl glanced at Gordon. then
arose. Gordon chuckled to himself,
He knew how matters had stood be-
tween the two and he suspected tina,
this was to be one more appeal on
Martins part.
When Polly came up to where
Ben stood at the edge OF the road.
the man took her hand.
Polly" he began and his voice
was fully Of emotion. II can see I'm
q losin' ye, an it's breakin my
heart. girl"
What do ye mean, Benz"
''I guess ye know. what I mean,
Polly. But 1 want to ,ell ye. that
chaps a skunk, jest 2 plain skunk,
He pertends to be prospectin' round
here for gold--but We all have cal
e'Iated he's prospectin' for somethin
else. He keeps nosin' round the
cove; and today he bumped right up
gin nur still on Sncn lin TurDiu