The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-06-30
Pollyooly
and the Lump
THE SIEGE
By Edgar Jepson

By Edgar Jepson
tCesffnsed Jro1s ysstsrday)
With puckered brow the angel, but
red-haired, child gave the bacon a
last, carefully considered turn. care
fully drained off the grease from each
slice, put them on carefully warmed
dish, and carried 1t into the sitting
| room of the Honorable John Ruffln
| She found him reading letter; and
his face, usually SO careless and Sc
| rene, was set in gloomy frown. 1t
| cleared somewhat at the sight of the
bacon; and he came bTiskly to the
| table, sat down, and began to eat,
while Pollyooly collected the garments
with which, in the course Of selecting
his apparel for the day, he had be-
strewn his sitting-room.
He ate two slices of bacons then he
said in gloomy voice, THE evil day
/ is upon US, Pollyooly,"
Yes. SIR" said Pollyooly, IN a tone
of respectful sympathy.
| 1t moved the Honorable John Ruff
| fin to unbosom himself; and he went
on: do you remember a rogue of
the name of Montague Fitzgerald, who
came to see me one morning?"
YES, sir His hair shone like his
hat; and he was very angry when he
went away" said Poilyooly, with a
smile Of pleasant remembrance.
HE does shine, the greasy usurer.
But made him rather too angry, by
refusing to pay his COMPOUNDED loan
| twice over. He has bought up all my
! Oxford debts and is going to writ me
| for the whole amount. l was paying
those debts comfortably, or rather I'M
comfortably, by instalments. You
know what instalments are. Polly
ooly?"
Burial money" said Pollyooly.
"Instalments are the curse of the
British Empire: and whole amounts
are worse" said the Honorable John
i Ruf1n, in tone of genuine feeling.
WELL can't pay the whole amount
at present, so we must stave of the
evil day"
4 Eyes, sir" said Pollyooly.
II must not be writted. That is the
first evil day to stave of. Therefore
4 proclaim a state Of siege. No
stranger must be let into my rooms
between daybreak and after dark,
when the Kings writ ceases to run.
Fortunately the Kings writ is not a
nightbird. We shall have to shut our
selves in"
"Do you mean all day. sir?" said
Pollyooly, knitting her brow.
II fear So" said the Honorable John
! Ruffin. From daylight till after
, dark"
but how. am to get Mr.. Gedge
Tomkinss breakfast"
That's a difficulty" said the Hon
orable John Rufin, frowning. Then
he said cheerfully: However. It's nc
good meeting trouble halfway; when
the time comes we shall find plan
You and the Lump can always steal
out early in the morning, take VI
your abode in the chambers of Mr.
g Gedge-T omkins, and return after the
]. Kings writ has ceased its banefu
, activity for the day, and stopped run
! ming l can get my own breakfast.
> But you can't cook your bacon
! SIR" said Pollyooly.
!. II must eat cold ham," said the
: Honorable John Rufin sadly. Il think
l could boil my eggs"
81 think you'd boil them hard, sir.
said Pollyooly doubtfully.
There's no saying. | might ge
s into it," said the Honorable John Ruff
fin, hopefully.
/ Pollyooly's face showed no hopeful
ness at all as she carried the garment
!, she had collected into his bedroom.
At intervals during the next few
1 nj ut r1,n,
e she happened to think of the coming
e trouble, but the Honorable John Ruf
! fin, whom 1t chiefly concerned, showel
Il himself entirely cheerful and serene
He talked freely and frequently o
: the slow approach of the besiegers
and gave Pollyooly an admirable lee
K ture on the physiognomy and costum
e of the common bailiff. At the end 0
q 1t he instructed her on no account t
admit anyone of such appearance t
= his chambers. Also he arranged wit
her that should a common bailiff com
and wait for him on his landing, whe
he was out, she should signal hi
presence by hanging a white table
l. cloth out of one of the windows of hi
S. own sitting-room or that of Mr.. Gedgt
II Tomkins. Every morning as soon a
the bacon was cooked, Pollyooly an
the Lump, as that genuine but rec
headed Cherub, her little brothel
Roger, was so appropriately called
e betook themselves to the chambers c
o Mr.. Gedge-Tomkins who also enioye
d the services of Pollyooly as house
l. keeper.
4 At last the besiegers or to be exac
= the besieger, came at half-past ten /
: the morning. Pollyooly and the Lum
: were in Mr.. Gedge-T omkins's chan
bers, when she heard a knocking 9