The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1917-12-27
INTRUSION
BY ELIAS KILLIAN.

BuIL ulRuL, Su0ICDeb Oh Rhy lhih5 Va
laughter and of music came to him
Jolly was at the old home once more.
The little Polly who used to spring
across the barbed wire fence that d.
vided them and drop on the top step
Of the side porch, breathless; the little
audacious Polly who plucked her short
skirt full of his violets without even
O "by your leave" and climbed his
cherry trees to toss his own cherries
down to him.
Polly had wintered at a fashionable
school In New York, had summered
abroad, and, crossing again, shad made
her smiling entrance into world that
seemed vastly interested in her.
A little Whitehead figure came
through the odorous darkness and
leaned on the barbed wire, little
plaintlve voice called "Hello" softly.
Pearson took refuge In silence.
With a fash and fiutter of feminine
nounces she was over.
'That's still barbed wire," Pearson
called.
"Ohi" she clarionetted, "a barbed
wirer She sped across the space that
interviewed to drop ON his top step
IN breathless scorn. "Was 1t thatT
me demanded. I've been home a
whole day."
"No," said Pearson calmly, II don't
mean to come. You've so many dane
ing about you that I'll never be missed.
And, anyway, Polly, hear such out
rageous things about you. Is It habit
Of yours to whistle up your dog and
Stalk from the room In the nfkdst Of
aIl the proposalsf"
'Tt's because they make such blum
der Of It," said Polly. II know how
e should be DONE"
"You're not 50 pretty" said Pear
con, disapprovingly.
''No" plaintively. - F'xsAe.a
you're little and you're brown"
"Yes," more plaintively.
"sThen why-why-r irritably, "does
everything in mans shape go down
before youf"
81 don't know; but"-sorrowfully--
~they do. II" she sighed heavily
'.fell the bearded men at a breath, and
the youths that grow between. But
perhaps you aren't familiar with Long
fellowT Polly was gone, and her low,
knocking laugh drifted back to Pear
son.
{ Pearson had closed the door to his
heart and rolled a big stone against
Il, telling himself he was done with
womankind forever, as far back a.
POlly's pinafore days.
Polly came to the barbed wire some
times, but she made no attempt to leap
over ii. Always she was very, very
gay, and after her going Pearson
counted up his birthdays, ran his I'm
gers through his hair turning gray on
his temples, and called himself an old,
old fool.
The twilight hour that Polly leaned
over the wire to pin a rose that had
burned In the coils Of her golden hair
on Parsons coat she sang something
tender and foolish about the rose be
ing her heart.
"Your heart" Pearson chided. ats
asleep, little child"
"It's his heart that sleeps" said
Polly. 1.-THE little white guest cham
Der that is mine has its door ajar, but
he won't come In, ever"
Afterward he crept up to his room
TO drop his arm on his desk and his
head on his arms, and sat there. while
night gathered deeper and deeper int
the room.
Pearson stumbled down the stair,
that echoed to his footsteps, the empty
lonely stairway over which no won
ans soft draperies ever trailed. and
out on the porch, there to find Poll,
on the top step.
He sank down beside her. 'Wha
becomes of men who hang around tn,
aide entrance of heaven, strainini
their ears to catch the music, wheI
they know 1t is never possible for then
20 slip in; what becomes of middle
aged Peris, Polly?"
II don't know" said Polly, ''but
know what should become of them,
scornfully. "Why doesn't your Per
20 around to the 'front.' Perhaps sh
hasn't any spirit. either. his heroine
perhaps she sits on the doorstep ant
waits, perhaps"
"Poliyr"
"Hes-he's a wooden Indian" sal,
Polly. "He let's the girl sit there Oh
his steps and pretend that she's look
ing at the stars. He doesn't care. ii
thinks she's a doll-baby stuffed wit
sawdust; that she cares Nfor all tn
empty. gay, frivolous things that sh
hates; he thinks she likes TO be fol
ever surrounded by a lot of pinh
checked, light-headed boys that Dor
her so. And all the time she knows
I'm sure don't know how, for he act
20 Queer-that he loves her, and tina
. little question Of arithmetic trouble
htm. It doesn't really trouble hel
me arithmetic of the heart ism
counted by years. He's lonely and sac
and she can put into his life all this
q has missed. but not unasked. an
sometimes she's wild thinking thing