The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-12-08
4 FAMILY HUD
BY LOUISE OLIVER.

Tom Watterson and his mother lived
on the other.
Polly Brown grew up to hate Tom
Watterson and Tom had been taught
to dislike the Brown girl. Things
had been much worse since the incl
dent of the egg. 1t really was an &C.
cident. for Polly never meant to hit
Tom in the back with it. She knew it
was passe the minute she discovered
the hidden nest in the chicken coop,
and, picking II up gingerly between
her thumb and forefinger. she had
aimed over the fence INTO the back
lot. But the egg slipped. and just
then Tom Strengthened up from his
wedding. Polly closed her eyes for
an instant as she heard it hit. Then
she lifted her chin two inches and
walked ma1estically into the kitchen.
/ After that Tom called her that lit
tie Brown cat" and deliberately let
the grass go three weeks without cut
ting so the dandelions would seed
again and blow over.
Polly had a voice. and it was the
summit of her ambition to 60 away to
study.
There is no one in Stolway to teach
me-" she complained. IF l only had
training I could open studio of my
own and give vocal lessons here.
Cant go. father"
"Well-you can write to Aunt Peg,
and If she can come and keep house
for me for year you can go to New
York l guess l have enough saved
for that The only thing hate about
Peg is such blamed bad cook! Any
way, you'd better ask her to come.
Aunt Peg came and Polly went, with
enough money to keep her ten years
in Stolway, but by compression and
stinting it might stretch for six
months in New York.
Tom had been studying law-odd
hours out of the store and at nights
for a period of three years. About
the time Polly went away, he passed
his examinations at the bar
Three months after Aunt Peggy had
| DttH COOhlHS III WI 4.
Brown, third third cousin of the
Wattersons in New York told Tom
that he had splendid opening for
him there. So Tom babe his mother
good-by and went to the city of sky
scrapers.
One night Polly, feeling particularly
blue and lonely in her ugly little
room, desired to take a walk down
Broadway, contrary to the good ad
vice of her one or two friends in
, town But the windows fascinated
, her and made her forget that she was
: poor and lonely.
, Tom, rather new to town, decided
. the same evening to walk up Broad
way.
A They met at Herald square. looked
8 fairly into each others faces and Their
r quickly away In all the immense
desert of New York they avoided this
little oasis of friendship But Tom re
: roof, and Polly the seeds and the dog
and the chickens. He wandered VI
e to Forty-secOnd street, she down tt
Twenty-third.
o Polly turned So did Tom. Polly
t stopped to look into window.
g Someone said Hello, grille, nice
4 night" in strange masculine voice
y and linked his arm familiarl,
through hers.
Polly shrank back frightened Their
o she suddenly saw Tom rushing a
y her tormentor like a thunderbolt ant
IS swing his right fist under the mani
# neither jaw.
s. Come with me, Polly" cried he a
7, the man staggered back. "I'll taxi
g you home If you don't hate me to-
everlastingly much to let me wall
r beside you"
l. ooh, Tom! never meant to do II
}. 1t slipped, truly. The egg, ! mean.
x you proud little thing! And yo'
N let me think you meant it, Then In
le sorry about everything I've ever done
1t I've been nasty brute and am heart
ID fly ashamed of myself. But | hop
e. I'm a man now. The world make
N one look at things differently. doesn'
sc It? We all need to get out and b
shaken up little"
'r Indeed. yes." agreed Polly, ant
y later, when they had reached he
% steps and Tom leaving, she asked
"a Wont you come to see me, Tom
'e I'm afraid we cant talk over the goo
II old times at home, but we can babbl
le at least about future prospects W
- have that in common, although min
y are not as rosy as ! had expected.
u Tom promised eagerly. poll
. Browns the prettiest girl I've seen |
20 New York" was his comment to hin
d self going home II shall certainl
try TO make up for lost time Will
she is here. What fool I've bee
all these years." Then whimsical!
'i 81 wonder what mother would say
80 But he need not have worried, fo
81 Polly got this letter the next mori
IA ing from her father:
d Dear Daughter: Aunt Peg got sic
and went home last week. Wido
et Watterson took pity on lonely oil
~ man and sent in the finest things
ne eat you ever tasted. OF course | ha
IL to take the dishes back, and fixed
US broken water pipe for her. She's
MS fine woman, Polly. It's terrible no
p I've misjudged her all this time. HoI
YOU are well
lie, Your loving Father"
I'd II. S.-Wdow Watterson promise
re- tonight to become Mrs. Brown Wis
- me iOy pOllVi"