Princess Polly's Gay Winter

before Polly was awake, she would lie with wide open eyes, gazing around the lovely room, and missing the dear voices that always greeted her so cheerily. At twilight, whe

t she must be a bright

father and mo

s together. Polly and Rose she had played with at the shore in the Summer, and at the children's party t

mph," as they had called her, and now

far, had shown no interest in Polly

, and her playmates, but she h

look across to Sherwood Hall

y friends, and she longed to join them. She had

e reason why she enjoyed playing with Sprite was beca

ifference" that

eclared that little

she sat swinging her feet, and

's a

t at the entrance to the driveway, and watc

ever since the first day that she arrived at

come into my garden. I'd like to have her all to m

when she was quite alone. Anyone wh

re aware that she told very large sto

chose. Luck favored her, for she had sat on the great post bu

lled with flowers, w

r blossoms, and did not no

list'ning

ou a shi

gallantly o

p within

e be bags

ling gem

all f

art cries

from o'e

g gems for me, n

er have

m all el

I'd nev

more th

urt cared little for music. Her only thought was to startle Sprite. With this delightful thought in her mind, she waited until Sprite w

she cried, as Gwen peeped i

'!" she cried, then-"Here!

s from the sidewalk, and thrusting

Come in. I want to kn

. What's

aford," was the

rt. Rather grand, isn't it?" Gwen asked, he

rite Seaford," s

d a middle name?" said

nk I care,"

ised that Sprite seem

and I'll show you something I

ed to go, Gwen grasped her arm, and li

rose bushes

ut they had much as, oh, I guess a h

k of surprise, she decid

it," she said. "Papa paid twenty dollars a piece for th

made no

ould do, and what do you s'pose? After it had been there 'bout a month I dug it up, and there were roses on it! It had blossomed down in the d

traight into Gwen's bold blue ones. "

then, without waiting for a reply she caught Spri

pictures," she said, pointing to the

heir quaint gowns of stiff brocade, and at the

d, "and are they portraits of peop

en, "and I'll tell

eat aunt Nora, and that man in the yell

reat aunt Nina, and that young girl

forgotten who that next one is, but the next lady's name was Jemima, and the one in yellow silk was Elvira, and the o

and worse the farther you go

the first picture, this one of the lady with the dog i

said Sprite, "but didn't they

Gwen replied, "but come and see this por

id Sprite, "I've neve

looked straight into Sprite Seaford's eyes, and nodding as s

a portra

exclaime

clared Gwen. "Do you dare to

but the sea captain's lit

e, and your hair is light, while the little girl in

asn't been that color, some tim

have brown hair and have it turn light yellow, and I don't believe brown

e was very angry, but she d

to be willing to play with her, so she only repeate

ned toward

looking for me," she

ne she remembered something that s

the portraits," she said. "I

"I wish I hadn't, 'cause you don't

a little girl who wore lovely frocks, and lived in a handsome house was willing to b

d fixed up for a house, but mother never let me speak like t

the avenue, Gwen

ite said, with

ed Gwen. "All I'll say is: 'Th

to a shriek, and s

lly disgusted,

Sprite running away from the house, jus

, "What a pity that of

t one really u

handsome face, and wondered how any intelligent

, "that she is easily excited, and she's so very sen

her little friends patiently, and thus

to understand how fine, how extremely sensiti

he stairs, stamping on every s

erself down on a chair near the window, a fr

bent over her, kissing her flushed face, and

ed to know her, I mean I thought I did, but now I don't. I brought her in to see the portraits

. Of course it really wasn't a portrait of me,

able to understand your wonderful imagination. The child was absurd to go o

ght her perfect, ran from the room, and down to the garde

from the rear wind

ward the house, she was trying to see if it wou

truck at her, missing howev

hey's no person handy fer yez ter pester, thin

ched Gwen in silence,

untain basin. Sure I'll hov ter shpake ter her

the window

n off'n there, 'fore ye

utrageous face, thus givi

, but Gwen only giggled and r