Polly's Business Venture

Elizabeth Roy Lillian

Description

Five girls were promenading the deck of one of our great Atlantic liners, on the last day of the trip. The report had gone out that they might expect to reach quarantine before five o'clock, but it would be too late to dock that night, therefore the captain had planned an evening's entertainment for all on board. Miss Brewster! Miss Polly Brewster! Polly Brewster! came a call from one of the young boys of the crew who was acting as messenger for the wireless operator. Polly, he is calling you! I wonder what it is? cried Eleanor Maynard, Polly's dearest friend. Here, boy! I am Polly Brewster, called Polly, waving her hand to call his attention to herself. Miss Polly Brewster? asked the uniformed attendant politely, lifting his cap. Yes.

Informations

• Publié par: Pub One Info
• Date de parution: 23 octobre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9782819904694
• Langue: English

Extrait

CHAPTER I
POLLY RETURNS TO AMERICA
Five girls were promenading the deck of one of ourgreat Atlantic liners, on the last day of the trip. The report hadgone out that they might expect to reach quarantine before fiveo'clock, but it would be too late to dock that night, therefore thecaptain had planned an evening's entertainment for all on board."Miss Brewster! Miss Polly Brewster! Polly Brewster!" came a callfrom one of the young boys of the crew who was acting as messengerfor the wireless operator. "Polly, he is calling you! I wonder whatit is?" cried Eleanor Maynard, Polly's dearest friend. "Here, boy!I am Polly Brewster," called Polly, waving her hand to call hisattention to herself. "Miss Polly Brewster?" asked the uniformedattendant politely, lifting his cap. "Yes."
He handed her an envelope such as the wirelessmessages are delivered in, and bowed to take his leave of the groupof girls. Polly gazed at the outside of the envelope but did notopen it. Her friends laughed and Nancy Fabian, the oldest girl ofthe five, said teasingly: "Isn't it delicious to worry one's selfover who could have sent us a welcome, when we might knowfor certain, if we would but act prosaically and open theseal."
The girls laughed, and Eleanor remarked, knowingly:"Oh, Polly knows who it is from! She just wants to enjoy afew extra thrills before she reads the message." "Nolla, I do not know, and you know it! You always make 'a mountain froma mole-hill.' I declare, you are actually growing to be childish inyour old age!" retorted Polly, sarcastically.
Her latter remark drew forth a peal of laughter fromthe girls, Eleanor included. But Polly failed to join in the laugh.She cast a withering glance at Eleanor, and walked aside to openthe envelope. The four interested girls watched her eagerly as sheread the short message.
Polly would have given half of her mine on GrizzlySlide, to have controlled her expression. But the very knowledgethat the four friends were critically eyeing her, made her flushuncomfortably as she folded up the paper again, and slipped it inher pocket. "Ha! What did I tell you! It is from HIM!" declaredEleanor, laughingly.
Dorothy Alexander was duly impressed, for she hadfirmly believed, hitherto, that Polly was a man-hater. The mannerin which she had scorned Jimmy Osgood on that tour of England wouldhave led anyone to believe that such was the case. Now thetell-tale blush and Eleanor's innuendo, caused Dorothy toreconsider her earlier judgment.
Polly curled her full red lip at Eleanor's remark,and was about to speak of something of general interest, whenDorothy unexpectedly asked a (to her) pertinent question. "Polly,has anyone ever proposed to you?"
Eleanor laughed softly to herself, and Polly sentpoor Dodo a pitying glance. "Is that little head of yours entirelyvoid of memory, Dodo?" said she.
Then, without waiting for a reply, Polly continued:"Did not Jimmy propose to me, as well as to every one of yougirls?" "Oh, but I didn't mean that sort of an affair," explainedDorothy. "I mean – were you ever in love with anyone who thought heloved you ?" "Oh, isn't this a delightful conversation? Iwouldn't have missed it for anything in the world!" laughedEleanor. "Nolla," rebuked Polly, seriously, "your head has been soturned since all those poor fortune-hunters in Europe flatteredyou, that I fear you will never succeed in business with me. Ishall have to find someone else who will prove trustworthy andwork."
Polly's threat did not appear to disturb Eleanorvery much, for she laughed merrily and retorted: "Dodo, if I answeryour question for Polly, what will you do for me, some day?""Nolla, you mind your own affairs!" exclaimed Polly, flushingagain. "Dodo is such a tactless child that she never stops toconsider whether her questions are too personal, or not. But you – well, you know better, and I forbid you to discuss meany further." "Come, come, girls! This little joke is really goingtoo far, if Polly feels hurt about it. Let us drop the subject andtalk about the dance the Captain is going to give us tonight,"suggested Nancy. "I'm going to wear the new gown mother got inParis," announced Dorothy. "Ma says we can save duty on it if Iwear it before it reaches shore."
The other girls laughed, and Eleanor added: "That'sa good plan, Dodo. I guess I will follow your example. I've got somany dutiable things in my trunks, that I really ought to economiseon something." "Well, I won't wear one of my new dresses tonightfor just that reason. If I want them badly enough, to bring themall the way from Paris where we get them so much cheaper than onthis side, then I'm willing to pay Uncle Sam his revenue on them,"said Polly, loftily. "Ho! I don't believe it is duty you aresaving, as much as indulging in perverseness by not donning one ofyour most fetching gowns," declared Eleanor. "Maybe it is," saidPolly, smiling tantalizingly at her chum. "Perhaps I want to keepthe freshness of them for someone in New York, eh?" "Certainly! He will be there to meet you, sure thing!" laughedEleanor.
At that, Dorothy drew Eleanor aside and, when Pollywas not looking, whispered eagerly: "Do tell me who he is?"
But Eleanor laughingly shook her head and whisperedback: "I dare not! That is Polly's secret!"
But she did not add for Dorothy's edification, thattry as she would, she (Eleanor) had never been able to make Pollyconfess whether she preferred one swain to another. As Eleanorconsidered this a weakness in her own powers of persuasion, shenever allowed anyone to question her that far.
Had anyone of the four girls dreamed of who thesender of the wireless was, what a buzzing there would have been!Eleanor Maynard would have been so pleased at the possibility of aromance, that she would have acted even more tantalizing, inPolly's opinion, than she had been of late months.
Perhaps you are not as well acquainted with Pollyand her friends, however, as I am, and it would be unkind tocontinue their experiences for your entertainment, until after youare duly informed of how Polly happened to leave her home in OakCreek and also what had passed during the Summer in Europe.
Polly Brewster was born and reared on a RockyMountain ranch, in Colorado, and had until her fourteenth year,never been farther from her home than Oak Creek, which was therailroad station and post office of the many ranchers of thatsection.
Eleanor Maynard, the younger daughter of Mr. Maynardwho was a prosperous banker of Chicago, accompanied her sisterBarbara and Anne Stewart, the teacher, when they spent a summer onthe ranch. Their thrilling adventures during the first half of thatsummer are told in the book called "Polly of Pebbly Pit," the firstvolume of this series.
After the discovery of the gold mine on GrizzlySlide, and the subsequent troubles with the claim-jumpers, Pollyand her friends sent for John Brewster who was engaged to AnneStewart, and Tom Latimer, John's best friend, to leave theirengineering work on some mines, for the time being, and hasten toPebbly Pit to advise about the gold mine, and to take action toprotect the girls. These experiences are told in the second volumeof this series.
Success being assured in the mining plans of thegold vein on Grizzly Slide, and the valuable lava cliffs located onPebbly Pit ranch also finding a market as brilliant gems for use injewelry, Polly and Eleanor decided to accompany Anne Stewart to NewYork, where she was going to teach in an exclusive school for youngladies.
In the third book, Polly and Eleanor's adventures inNew York are told. Their school experiences; the amateurtheatricals at which Polly saved a girl from the fire, and thusfound some splendid friends; and the new acquaintance, Ruth Ashby,who was the only child of the Ashbys. They also met Mr. Fabian in amost unusual manner, and through him, they became interested inInterior Decorating, to study it as a profession. When theschool-year ended, all these friends invited the two girls to jointheir party that was planned to tour Europe and visit noted placeswhere antiques are exhibited.
The following fourth book describes the amusingincidents of the three girls on board the steamer, after they meetthe Alexanders. Mrs. Alexander, the gorgeously-plumed ranch-woman;Dorothy, always known as "Dodo," the restive girl of Polly's ownage; and little Ebeneezer Alexander, too meek and self-effacing todeny his spouse anything, but always providing the funds for hercaprices. This present caprice, of rushing to Europe to find a"title" for Dodo to marry, was the latest and hardest of all forhim to agree to.
Because of Mrs. Alexander's whim, the ludicrousexperiences that came upon the innocent heads of Polly and herfriends, in the tour of England in two motor cars, decided them toescape from that lady, and run away to Paris. Before they couldsigh in relief at their freedom, however, the Alexanders loomedagain on their horizon.
Plan as they would, the badgered tourists found thatMrs. Alexander had annexed herself permanently to them. Theyresigned themselves to the inevitable. But that carried with itmore ridiculous affairs, when Mrs. Alexander plotted for the titlesfound dangling before her, in various places on the Continent.
One good result came from this association with theAlexanders: Dodo found how fascinating the work of collectingreally was, and decided to study decorating as an art. Hence shespurned her mother's ambitions for her, and announced her plan ofremaining in New York with the girls, upon their return to America,to follow in their line of study.
Mrs. Alexander felt quite satisfied to live in NewYork for a season, as she fancied it an easy matter to forge a wayinto good society there. But her spouse detested large cities andlonged for his mining life once more, but agreed to it because Dodowas delighted with the opportunity opened before her, in theprofession of decorator.
Polly's party on board the steamer consisted of Mr.and Mrs. Ash