Arizona republican., 1911-05-25
POLLY00LY AND THE LUMP
Copyright. 1909. by the Pearson Pulp
 fishing Company.
By Edgar Jepson.


 out of place in that haunt of fashion An angel child in an oft-washed blue , print frock accompanied by an au thentic. but red-haired, cherub seemed but ill-placed in it; and though per sons of breeding smiled with pleasur, when their eyes rested on the two
 charming faces, the snobs elevated
 their frequently penciled eyebrows al
 their shabby dress, and some of then
 inquired of their friends what the DO
 lice were thinking of Probably il
 the painful truth were known. they
 were thinking with longing of the
 cooks in the rich kitchens of Park 1 Lane
 Certainly no sense of the unfitness
 of her frock marred Pollyooly's pleas
 ure; and she watched the sparkling
 scene with the daZzled eyes of coun- 1 try child. It was the Lump's third | birthday and she had brought him | thither as a treat. He appeared less | dazZled than she by the splendor | through which he moved. but quite | content
 She strolled and he toddled halfway | up to the Marble Arch: then. think ! ing that he had walked far enough. | she led him tO a tree close to the l path; and they sat down, inexpen- | sively. on the grass at it's foot. Presently Pollyoolys eyes fell on a pretty girl, with the hue of wild roses rin her cheeks, who was sitting a few yards away She was charmingly dressed in a cOnfection of light blue; and beside her sat her sOur-faced mother dressed in a much more elab- crate cOnfectiOn of the same tint.
 PollyOOly gaZed at her with some pleasure and more envy for minute or two. thinking that it must be glo- rious indeed 10 have such beautiful clothes and nothing 10 do but wear them.
 Then voice above PollyoOly's head said quietly. Little girl. do you think you could do sOmeih hing for me-"
 Pollyooly, startled in her turn. look ed up 10 find a very finelooking gentleman. as finely dressed as the Honorable John Ruffin himself, look ing down al her. and hidden by the trunk of the tree from the sour-faced dovager.
 Poliyooly liked his face. It was an honest face. good-natured. and very
  did rot think indeed that it could co;npare with the face of the Honor able John Ruffin. who. to her eyes was the very type of manly beauty; and since her ideal was the clean shaven. she did not approve of the close-crOpped moustache. But sine found U nice face, the face of one to be trusted.
 If I can, sir" she said amiably.
 Well. do you think that you could give that young lady in blue. sitting just over there. a note without any one seeing you?" said the gentleman.
 I'll try sir" said Pollyooly briskly, her face lighting mp.
 Tn give you half-a-crown if you can work it." said the gentleman; and he took a slim betting book from his pocket. wrote in if. apparently with some labor. and tore the leaf out of it.
 Then he said, How are you going 70 work it?'
 Pcllyooly gazed at him with puck cred brow. She was a child of re- source. as indeed one who is facing the world at the age of twelve, with a baby brother to support, needs to be. But no risks must be taken in the matter of earning hah-a-crown. Then her face frightened; and she said, " Do you want those viole.s very much, sir? If you don't, I could stick the note in the middle of them, and nO- body could see it."
 "Rippin' idea, That's just where l wanted the violets to go when bought them on the chance. She likes vio- lets better than any flowers" said the gentleman.
 With that he took them out of his and gave them 10 her. Then he looked cautiously round the | trunk. The pretty girl was watching ] him covertly He held out the note | for her 10 see and pointed to Polly | poly. Pollyooly united the violets with l left fingers; set the note in the mid | Ile of them and tied them up again. | The pretty girl watched her with | sparkling eyes.
 Then she looked at the pretty girl | and said: 'I may as we'll do it now, sir."
 Right you are. She's tumbled to t all right" said the gentleman eagerly. When you've given them to ner. walk straight on, and I'll catch you up"
 Pollyooly rose. took the Lump by he hand. and sauntered towards the | pretty girl. Two yards from her she said to the Lump. Give these flowers o the pretty lady, Lump dear" And she gave him the violets.
 The Lump toddled up to the chairs. But he was of too tender years to be judge of female beauty: and he pre- ;ented- the violets to the sour-faced lowager.
 She sniffed in a manner we are lit le used to associate with our aris- ocracy, and eyed the gift with cold corn. The pretty girl bent hastily onward and took them. Thank you, you dear little boy" he said "Grizel, What thing to dol" cried he mother Taking flowers from a ed-headed little beggar! They're in ectious, I'm sure of it, Throw them way at Once." He's quite a clean little boy; and he violets are quite fresh" said the retty girl; and she put the shilling he had ready into the Lump's fat title hand. "A shiilingi" cried her mother. "A milling for a tupenny bunch of viO- cts, If that's the way you waste your llowance. no wonder you're always ard up at the end of the month, Be- Ides, it's encouraging begging-bare-