Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-04-20
Polly and5tf1e
Dui.jja ii Board
By H. LOUIS :RzYBoED
.(Copyright-)


The position of fagman -ata,Saunders
Crossing, which the railroad company
gave John Peters when. he. injured his
foot while acting as brakeman ON one
of their trains, had its delights. and
its torments. 1t was an. easy.job with
considerable leisure time attached, but
it afforded him too frequently the
sight of Polly Carr, who lived lin
the little redhouse at the top oftthe bill.
Not that Polly was ,disagreeable to
look upon. Quite the contrary. Any
girl is pleasant to see. whose, eyes
sparkle with the joy Of living, whose
curying mouth turns upward Nat the
corners and in whose cheeks shines
the glow ,of health and youth. But
when John hurt his foot he gave up
the thought of Polly. Ask a girl to
marry a cripple, with nothing better
than the job of tagging trains? Well,
he should say not. And, Polly, who
had been on tip-toe for the question
to which she could so .truthfully say
Eyes," was left to wonder IF she had
been mistaken in thinking he cared.
Now Polly, otherwise eminently SEN
sible, was the most superstitieus little
body imaginable.
Then one bright May morning the
north-bound train slowed down and
stopped at the crossing. Out stepped
Polly's up-ceuntry aunt with umbrella
and travelling bag.
Polly was glad to see her. aunt, part
ly because she was fond of her, and
very great deal because now it
would be quite all right to invite John
Peters to supper. If she had known
that Aunt Susan carried iiniher bag
something which would prove more
efficacious In Johns case than s:any
love philter, she would have fallen. on
her aunt's neck and blessed her. That
something was an oufja board.
When John received from Polly the
invitation to supper he had half a
mind to refuse.
"Tll initiate you into the mysteries
Of the ouija board" She promised.
"Aunt and 1 work at it every eve
ming. And every single thing itssays
is true!" she added solemnly.
Ordinarily John had three hours. at
supper, time when neither north nor
south-bound train was due at the
crossing. On the very night of Pol
ly's invitation, however, he was no
titled by the dispatcher at the junction
, to throw the switch for a freight.
Throughout the meal, delicious evi-
.dence of Polly's ability TO cook, he
kept his brain working at the words,
even as he praised with masculine ap-
probation the featherweight biscuits,
steak done exactly right and fiaky
pie. After supper Aunt Susan gave
Polly little push. I'm going TO wash
up,schild. You run along in the parlor
and. entertain Mr.. Peters" And Polly,
after one dutiful but weak protest,
obeyed.
Lets get out the euija board" she
suggested. You ask 1t the hrSt cues
ton and see what happens!"
so John, thinking how pretty Peliy's
pink. cheeks were, wanted to know if 1T
would rain in the morning. Heads
close together, fingers resting lightly
on the triangular bit of wood, they
waited for the ouija spirit to start
working. Polly pouted when John
didn't seem impressed at the vaguely
indefinite reply of Maybe" Question
followed question, turn and turn about,
with .more-or less-marvelous re-
spense. Then Polly, her color deep
ening "a bit, inquired if she would
ever marry.
"Some day. came the answer.
"Mho?" dared Polly.
John, his fingers trembling in spite
of himself, awaited the answer with
trepidatien. What was Polly-or the
ouija b0and--up to?
Slowly the letters spelled out into
word:
"a s-w-i-tcth.m-V
John sprang up las If shot. Down
eiattered the board and ,planchette.
Selling his cane, the man leaped to
the front door, opened it and was gone.
Polly, thunderstrtck, stood where she
had risen, her cheeks drained of their
rosiness. What was it? 1t couldn't
be-how silly of her even to think of
it. John wouldn't leave like that
just because he thought he was be-
ing proposed to. But taere was some
thing wrong.
Quickly she went out to the little
porch. Far down the hill sounded
the tap-tap of Johns cane and his
swift footballs. There was another
:seund-slow, monotonous, rumbling-
chen whistle for the Crossing.
She must find out if he got there in
time. Hatless, coatless, she ran down
the hill, only to meet John, breathing
heartily. on the way back.