Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1916-11-03
POLLY's SOLDIER
BY ELLIS GRAHAM.

let wound in the side and now he
tossed feverish and delirious on his
Emattress bed, one of two dozen in the
ruins of the old mission. The heat
Twas almost unbearable, not breath
Of air Stirring in that desert region.
The little nurse was thinking as she
| famed, and this was what it was all
| about:
1t was cherry time and q girl and
man were out under the crimson
| heart tree. The girl had colorin her
| cheeks almost as rich as that of the
cherries the young man had hung over
each of her ears, and her lips, juice
stained, were too tempting to resist.
II love you, Polly!" he declared, i'm
petuously Selling her in his arms.
TELL me all over again"
81 love you, Will" she declared hap
PLY, smuggling up close to his breast
"And you'll never, never forget +!
Promise!"
81 promise!"
"And no matter what anybody ever
says, you'll never go back on me. Cross
your heart, Polly!"
And Polly solemnly crossed her
| heart.
That evening at dinner Polly's ia
Their said: at looks as though we are
going to have war. The militia has
been ordered out"
Poor white Polly had dropped her
fork and the cheeks that had matched
the cherries had gone white as the
tablecloth. For Will was captain in
the local Guard and that meant-oh,
what?
"Are you sure, daddy?"
Eyes, Pauline, I'm sorry to say it's
true"
whats wrong, Polly? exclaimed
her mother.
Nothing" she answered with dry
lips, except that was thinking that
some of the boys we know will nave
to CO."
81 suppose so. Will Fielding has
something to do with it, hasn't he?
Why, Polly" For the girl was I'M
able to endure it any longer, had
rushed from the table to her room.
She knew her parents were discussing
her behavior and that her conduct
had been as good as a confession, but
what of it? She loved Will Fielding
and there wasn't any reason why they
shouldn't know.
But, later, her mother came to her
and kindly but firmly told her that she
was too young to fall in love, and, be-
sides, that although personally she
liked Will well enough, the family was
new and she couldn't consent to a
daughter of hers marrying into FAM
lily no one knew anything about.
And so things went on for three
days. Then something occurred, some
/ thing dreadful. Polly had never
learned the exact truth, for no one
would tell her. 1t was something
about the diamond ring her mother
lost.
She had dressed for a party and
gone to the kitchen before leaving to
tell Nora about dinner. Finding that
her rings interfered with her gloves,
she had drawn them off and laid them
on the table in the kitchen, intending
to drop them into fer bag. But she
was half way to the car before she re-
membered them and returned. Norah,
in the meantime, had taken basket
and gone out for cherries for pies, leav-
ing the doors open. That was all they
would tell her, except that when her
mother returned the two-carat diamond
was gone, and that night her parents
made her promise never to see Will
again. And on the other hand, the
company marched away with never. a
| goodby from VIII, nor so much as a
salute from him as he had passed.
The sick man moaned and muttered
something.
"Polly! Good-by, Polly!" he said.
"Won't you say good-by? What's the
matter with everybody" More NUT
tering and then: Nobody was at
home, Polly. I cut across the back
way and Duke ran into the kitchen.
chased him out, and he tore your
mothers silk dress. She hates Duke.
Poor Duke! Good-by, Polly, dear!"
"Will," breathed the little nurse
softly, Give for my sake, VIII. There
was some mistake am sure, and it
will come out all right"
Dawn came swift and hot and a
horse galloped near. 1t was messen-
ger with mail. There were letters foi
Polly, one from home and she opened
it eagerly. "Dear little girl" wrote
her mother, II hope you are safe and
well and not working too hard. Fa-
Their and I are so anxious about YOU
and so on. Then, after other bits Of
news, you'll be surprised to hear l
found my ring. 1t was very queer the
way it was lost. We found it stick
ing to the bottom of the old cherry
basket. Nora must have set the
basket down on my rings that day
and the diamond one caught. It's been
in the cellar ever since until today,
when she found the ring. Do you ever
hear of VIII Fielding? We've inquired
about his family, Polly dear, and find
the Fieldings come of splendid old New
England stock. If VIII comes home
safe and so&nd and my little girl re-