Luke was a bachelor when the child had arrived fifteen years before
in the carrier's cart from Marsden, having made the journey in a
similar conveyance to that town from Sheffield, where her father
and mother had died within a week of each other, the last request
of her mother being that little Polly should be sent off to the
care of Luke Marner at Varley.
Luke had not then settled down into the position of one of the
elders of the village, and he had been somewhat embarrassed by the
arrival of the three year old girl. He decided promptly, however,
upon quitting the lodgings which he had as a single man occupied
and taking a cottage by himself. His neighbors urged upon him that
so small a child could not remain alone all day while he was away
at Marsden at work--a proposition to which he assented; but to
the surprise of every one, instead of placing her during the day
under the care of one of the women of the place, he took her down
with him to Marsden and placed her under the care of a respectable
woman there who had children of her own.
Starting at five every morning from his cottage with Polly perched
on his shoulder he tramped down to the town, leaving her there
before going to work, and calling for her in the evening. A year
later he married, and the village supposed that Polly would now
be left behind. But they were mistaken. When he became engaged he
had said:
"Now, Loiza, there's one point as oi wish settled.
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