The Washburn leader., 1916-05-05
PolLY's COLONIAL TEA
sy ,zoLA FORESTER.

brel-roof house at the foot of the hill
ever since she was born, for forty
eight years.,
Gabriel always stopped when he
drove by on the way to town to call
out CHEEKY salute to the face at tho
sitting-room window. He had gone to
school to Miss Gibbons, and really had
IN affection for the odd little old
maid.
You know. Gabe," she would say,
with certain tilt Of her head. Il am
the last Of the Gibbonses."
Gabriel remembered the plaintive
note Of loneliness the day he carried
the load Of hard wood over to tho
schoolhouse. The teacher stepped
out to show him where she wanted it
put, and she asked him II he knew q
nice. pleasant place to board. She
was living down near the station, and
didn't like It.
Gabriel told her he'd speak to Miss
Gibbons. She couldn't have been q
day over eighteen. with big brown
eyes and wavy brown hair and tha
deepest dinples.
She don't seem to have much sta
bility," said Miss Gibbons gently. Aft
er she had boarded Polly a week
She just seems to brighten up the
whole place. I'm even thinking some
Of having little party for her WASH
lngton's birthday. I'll set out all my
colonial things, ask. each one who
comes to bring along something
they've got tucked away, too. 'You
can come, can't you, Gabe?"
Gabe was sure he could. In fact
he'd make point of it. But when he
paid his usual call Sunday, Polly
seemed out ofn.umor.
ooh, it isn't anything, Gabe,' she
said shortly. Its just everything all
at once. think I'll give up the
school and go back home. l heard
Mrs. Dwiggins say Friday they would
ask for my resignation If I didn't.
First. they say the supervisor
drives over and stays too long in my
district. Well, he does, too. He's an
old goose. Then they say l waved
my hand to the mail carrier" She
smiled deliciously.
The twilight had fallen. Miss Glib
bons was busy getting tea out In the
kitchen, and Gabe some way managed
to unburden his mind to q large ex
tent in those few minutes. But the
next day, even Eusebia sensed some
thing wrong in the atmosphere at hel
Washington tea.
All about the parlor and sitting
room were Eusebia's colonial treas
ures, her moss-rose tea set and the
silver glaze teapot. There were the
Capitol steps silk quilt made by Great
grand.aunt Lucinda Allen, and the old
fintlock musket that had gone through
the Pequot Indian wars. with a Revo
lutionary powder horn next 1t. and 8
homespun woolen blanket that old
Capt. Ethan Gibbons had wrapped
around his weary limbs at Valley
Forge. There was a slender silver
cup the great general himself was
said to have drunk from and the very
split bottom chair he had sat in the
night of his sojourn at the Gibbone
home.
Polly had draped an old worn flaa
over the picture Of Washington be
hind the tea table where Eusebia sat,
flushed and happy, and the rooms
really looked festive. But there wac
something wrong. Polly knew 1t right
away, when Mrs. Deacon Ricketts,
gave her hand that was like a dead
founder. Then. when she passed tea,
several Of the ladies said very primly,
Much obliged, Miss Hall, I'm sure"
Expect to go home before Easter,
do you. Miss Hall?" inquired old Miss
Chatterton, who was deaf as post.
The question seemed to reverberate
through the low-ceiled rooms. and
Polly was pink to her ear tips. But
Eusebia heard It and answered for
her placidly:
well. faint at all likely. We'H
need her here to sing in church. and
It would hardly pay to go way up to
Vermont and back again"
Mrs. Ricketts, coughed slightly.
stirred her tea and fired the next
shot.
THE deacon was saying there was
some talk on the school board Of get
ting man teacher to look after those
big boys. should think they'd be .
real burden to you, Miss Hail."
II like them," said Polly earnestly.
"They all help me with the smaller
ones. and are good as can be-"
Il don't believe that supervisor win
get elected this year again" spoke up
Miss Chatterton. with startling clear
ness, and there came q dead silence.
It really was the psychological mo-
ment in Eusebia's tea. Even the fa-
nous mistress Of the first administers
tion herself would have needed an
her tact and diplomacy in handling
the issue Of the moment. Polly flashed
an imploring glance at her, and
Eusebia poured another cup Of tea
with steady fingere
DO try another one. Miss Rick.
etts." she said. "ItM. quiet your
nerves, Well, don't wonder they
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