POLLY'S FAVOURITE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2785, 31 July 1907, Page 90

POLLY'S FAVOURITE.

By A. St. John Adcock

- (Author of "East End Idylls," etc.). It wasn't often that Henry Figgis uttered his thoughts aloud, but he did it that Saturday afternoon unconsciously. "Wish I had the pluck to speak to her!" lie ejaculated. "Lovely .girl .Jtibai- just gone past, sir! You'didn't notice, perhaps: Foolish of me, but I can't help being proud of her." Henry looked blankly round at the man. who 6at near him on the bench: a rotund, shabby-genteel man with a warm complexion and a hot nose. "She actually didn't see me!" pursued' the stranger, placidly returning Henry's gaze. "I shall tease her about this." He shook his head with an air of gentle slyness. "'Well, Polly,' I shall 6ay., 'so you couW pass Uncle Walter in the park and never look at him, eh? It was that young fellow on the same seat with me,' I shall jsay j ' you'd got ham in yer eye and hadn't room for anyone else there, eh?' Only my fun, y'know. I'm fond of teasing her." "You mean that young lady in brown V" asked Henry bashfully. "My favourite colour, 6ir. She wears it to please me. You did see her, then?" "Do you know her?" - , . "Know her!" the rotund stranger chuckled. "Why, I've^ nursed her on my knee " Meeting Henry's resentful 3ye, be hastened to add, "before she could walk. Know her! You mention me to her and Bee what she says." "1 don't know" her," sighed Henry. "Oh? Thought you said you did." •^Only by sight." Henry roused himself frith a dim thought that affability might hi the best policy. - "I've eat here and seen iier go by —on her way home, I suppose — several times, bnt I've never spoken to her." "How could yon if yon don't know her?" demanded Uncle Walter. "Well " Henry hesitated. "I might get a chance " -'/Look here, -young, feller," sajd Uncle Walter sternly, "don't you address my niece without a proper introduction. She's very p'tickler, and wouldn't like it. So I warn you!" Henry eyed him uncomfortably. "Do you mean she's engaged already?" Be faltered. "No," said' Uncle Walter. "But she stands strictly on etiquette, being as good as she-is beautiful, bless her!" He paused to blow his nose emotionally. "Her mother's got a little bit of money, and I shall leave her., my little all when I die; but, as I say to hsr"—Uncle Walter had edged nearer and was taking confidentially—suit's love .that counts, and not money. And she has great faith in my judgment, 6ir. Til never marry any man, Uncle Walter,' she says, 'unless you like h.m. "Kind hearts are more than coronets, Uncle Walter,' 'she says to me, 'and I'm not one to love a man for his good looks.' " "I say, she must be fond of you," remarked Henry admiringly. Uncle Walter looked at him hard. "If you want to joke "he began. "I mean," Henry eagerly explained, "she mu6t like you or she wouldn't trust you BO." ' "Like me!" Uncle Walter swelled. "Well —you ask her." I shouldn't like to," said Henry simply. shall. I'll introduce you to her," cried Uncle Walter. "I don't often take a fancy to anyone, but when I do I don't do it by halves, and my opinion goes a long way with Polly. Is be generous, ancle?' she'll ask me ; 'or is he one of the mean, suspicious sort? If he is, I hate him, and don't wish to see him!' That's They talked about her for a long while; the girl she is." Hency was glad to talk about her, especially to a relation, and as they grew more Intimate he ventured to acknowledge that he .had really fallen in love with her at first sight, weeks ago, and that he had made up his mind to speak to her somehow or other, at all risks. "But don't," Uncle Walter interrupted. *It'd spoil you with her for ever. vTell you what—leave this to me! I'm no matchmaker, and I eihal! be sorry to lose her, but I'm interested in you, my boy. Fact is, I believe she saw you just now — probably she's noticed you here before. I'll sound her. If I think it's a case of love at first sight with her, too—rwell, they call me eccentric, and I may be a romantic told fool, but you shall go there to tea ■With me, and I'll formally introduce you." Henry thanked him confusedly, but he iraved thanks aside. "Talkimg'e dry work," he said at length; "come along and' I'M stand a glass of port and dring success to you." In * tavern outside the park Uncle Walter proposed, "Polly, and may the man Who deserves her get her!" their effusively Ordered both glasses to be refilled. "And," said the barmaid sharply, "you didn't pay me for the other ones." "Oh, I beg your pardon!" Uncle Walter felt hurriedly in his pockets and looked dismayed. "Dear me!" he muttered. "I Jiad clean forgotten! My dear young friend, I shall have to ask you to pay. Do you mind? I came out without my purse, but I'll make it right next time we meet." Henry was rather jjlad of the opporiucity to lay Uncle Walter under an obligation ; be was even idyllically simple enough to suspect that Uncle Walter was Itrtfully testing the generosity of his disposition, and therefore insisted on a third glass, apiece, at his expense.* * When they bad shaken hands affectionately and Henry was going away in an ecstasy that was half love and half port, Uncle Walter came running after him. "My dear boy," he planted, "I'm downfight ashamed, but coming out without my

* parse — could you lend me a couple of shillings till next week, and — oh, thank you, thank you! You shall not regret it." During the week as Henry 6at in the j coal-order office where he earned his salary he had unworthy doubts, and was inclined to stigmatise himself as a fool ; but on the Wednesday Uncle Walter peered in upon him, and, seeing he was alone, entered. "My dear boy," he said, fervently shaking the hand Henry gave him, "I congratulate you!" "What — what " "I shan't tell !" Uncle Walter Jifted a 1 cautioning finger. "Mustn't betray a lady's secrets, but — all's well I You shall go there with me to tea." "When?" gasped Henry in a flutter. "How about next- Tuesday? That convenient? Good ! ' I'll see my sister-in-law, Mrs Johnson — Polly's mother — and meanwhile I'll meet you in the park on Saturday and let you know if that suits her." He lingered, chatting, and came back hot and annoyed shortly after he bad gone to say he was ashamed to own that with his . usual carelessness he had come out without any cash on him, and would be obliged if Hjteflay could advance him five shillings till Saturday, when he would discharge all his trivial obligations. He couldn't bear to owe money, he said, but, thank heaven, Saturday was only three days off. "By the way," he 6aid, slipping tihe coins in his pocket, "what time will you be tffiere?" "She goes past that seat every Saturday afternoon at 4," Henry laughed awkwardly. "I'll be there at a quarter to. I 6ay — ■ couldn't you introduce me to her then?" "My boy," said Uncle Walter, shaking hands again, "I will." Henry was there on the seat punctually at a quarter to 4, looking timorously in all directions, and praying that Uncle Walter might arrive in time. But at 4he was still absent, and Henry saw tbe nutter of Polly's brown dress in the distance witih mingled feelings «f rapture and disappointment. As she approached her eyes met his shyly, and there was something in tbem that told him she had heard of him and expected to see him there. He threw an agonised glance round for Uncle Walter ; another moment and she would be past ; but, fired by a sudden desperate impulse, he rose and, raising his hat, inquired subniifesively: "Pardon me, were you looking for your uncle, Missj-^-Miss Johnson?" She bluslied and regarded him doubtfully ; then her lips flickered in a dazzling smile and. too wildly embarrassed to know what he was doing, Henry involuntarily walked on beside her, letting his words come at a rush, excitedly. "Please forgive my speaking to you," he pleaded. "I'm sorry your Uncle Walter is not here to introduce me; he promised to ; but he has told me so much" about you, and told you about me, so I don't feel quite a stranger " . Once started, he rattled on half hysterically, limiting himself to enthusiastic praises of Uncle Walter, that being a safe subject, and the only one in which he knew they had a mutual interest. As Ihey emerged from the park he did not observe Uncle Walter himself lurking near the gate, apparently watching for somebody to come out, and that instead of advancing and attracting their attention, he 'distributed a bewildered look between them, dodged abruptly into the road, 6j.rang on a passing tram, and was carried away. It was not until a fortnigfct afterwards, when Henry had discovered that her name was neither Polly nor Johnson, that he ventured on a diffident — -"I haven't seen your Uncle Walter lately, have you?" She laughed, and shook her head at him, roguishly reproachful. ** I haven't got any uncles ; that's wliere you made a mistake," she said. "But it was only an excuse to speak to me, dear, wasn't it? Mother disapproved of it, and said you were too artful, but I understand you, and I'm sure you're not, dearest, ara you? But you mu6t be very clever, I think, and very imaginative." Henry flushed modestly, and allowed Uncle Walter to remain in fairyland ; he I didn't like to disappoint her.