Happy Pollyooly: The Rich Little Poor Girl

of the earliness of the hour, with excited animation, awo

she c

Queek! Coom to ze win

he detective stood on the lawn regarding the house g

laughed

st eat your breakfast queek, and be ready to

ock that she might be less visible in the thickets. Then s

when Eglantine, on the w

er! You must fly

ut gentleman, conferring with the detective and smiling triumphantly and rubbing his hands at the news of her presence in the house. She smiled t

at are we to do?"

I could get out of?" s

" cried Eglantine, ru

saw that to get to the little gate into the wood she would have to pass the detective. But on her left, in the fence of the wood, was a gap which had been filled by a post and rails. Though it would bring her in sight of the lawyer at the front door, that seemed the safer way, since he was stouter,

ne a good thirty yards into it. He rushed for the post and rails, and climbed them with his eyes nearly starting out of his head in his anxiety t

had learned that Pollyooly had taken to the woods, and was himself over the fence, many valuable seconds had been lost

dergrowth. It grew fainter and fainter, for they plunged on straight ahead of them; and then it died quite away. She

but drawing nearer. She moved along before it, and came to a gate opening into a leafy lane.

ood with a lawyer and a detective. Then she cast one look back into the green depths of the wood, slipped over the gate, and bolted down the lane as hard as she could run. Her only task had been to keep the lawyer and the detectiv

detective ranged the wo

he entered into conversation with her. She was very affable with him, but not wholly open; for after a while she left him under the impression that, so far from being an orph

repine, but walked along to the end of it, watching the bathers and the playing children, in a great content. Then she went down the path beyond the esplanade, between the sea and ma

the detective ranged the

hoes and stockings and came back to the esplanade. She soon learned that a bathing-dress and a bathing-machin

the detective ranged the

s, drying her beautiful red hair in the sun. The church clock struck twelve;

the detective ranged the

she sought the mouth of the Otter. There, hunting among the rocks, paddling, watching the sea-gulls on the red cliffs be

mitted. Moreover, the lawyer was not of sleuth-hound build, and the chase had reddened his face almost to the colour of the carapa

nto the town to get the food he needed so badly and to bring back lunch for the lawyer. The lawyer sat on a ben

of Pollyooly. It is difficult to be sure how these things happened. But both of them were lonely; Pollyooly was of far too s

house at three o'clock, was detained by Edward and the sea till half-past four. She was not loth to be detained; she was ind

ith the lunch of the raging lawyer. From half-past three till four they prowled gently about the wood; at four they

urdered Lady Marion Ricksborough in the wood. It took them nearly twenty minutes to persuade her

went picked flowers to adorn the Honourable John Ruffin's chambers. When she did come into the garden, her eyes fell at once on the lawyer and the detective. They slept

: They slept

by her delay. Though in the end persuaded that she had not been murdered by the lawyer and the detective, she had begun to fear lest she were lost in th

or of the market-garden, when they were both startled by a loud snort at the window. The lawyer and the detective were looking in upon them, their faces beaming with

e caught your ladysh

bit in the part of Lady Marion Ricksborough to give hers

ve missed the las

y smiled

e said grumpily. "If I left your ladyship here,

and Eglantine burst into

eep in the house-in h

out further and louder protests from Eglantine; but in the end he got it. She packed the little kit-bag for Pollyooly with clothes of Lady Marion. The detective carried it. As they were starting

med Pollyoo

secure her welfare, and dwelling on the pleasure she must be feeling at the prospect of being re-united with her affectionate father, the duke. No such prospect lay before her; and she displayed no interest in the matter. But when the lawyer, with a fatherly

at she was moving from it to an hotel where, in her ignorance of provincial England, she supposed that she would fare luxuriously. She was much less pleased

or a moment of putting her into the care of the detective. Indeed, in spite of his greater experience

hether she disliked the smell of tobacco smoke before taking her into the smoking-room, where he made a light meal on whiske

sea-front. It was exceedingly gratifying to him to be seen walking hand in hand with the daughter of a duke. But his

-to-day," she said firmly,

emed no likelihood of his recovering the hand, in

's assurance that you w

yooly haughtily; and sh

e, and my responsibility ends," said Mr.

e would be with his grace on th

drowsily eloquent about the inestimable privilege she was about to enjoy of once more sharing her father's ducal home. But since the

d the manager of what he believed to be her rank and romantic history, during the meal she enjoyed a

terest to her. In view of the fact that she had so lately eaten that noble tea, the earlier courses could hardly be expected to interest her; but the sweets

se how much their deference to his opinions, drawn from that morning's Daily Mail, which both of them had read, was due to her presence beside him. After dinner they returned to the bench on the esplanade; and Pollyool

e hotel; and when she went to bed Mr.

n view of the rank she was enjoying, it also seemed to her that she might very well have her way in the matter. She dressed quic

lyooly hammered on the door yet more loudly than before with the heels of her two stout shoes. The chambermaid summoned the manager; both of them betook themselves to Mr. Wilkinson, and anxiously informed him that her young ladyship was awaking the whole hotel. Mr. Wilk

llyooly to the sea. His gloom did not at all lessen Pollyooly's enjoyment of her bath and she

nson congratulated her on the healthiness of her appetite, with a somewhat envious air. It

the detective. Pollyooly had not forgotten the Honourable John Ruffin's urgent instruction that she should wire him the time of the arrival of their train at Water

bustled after her and found he

hree twenty-f

a little; and Mr

telegraph to

old me to," s

Wilkinson with a puzzled ai

e yesterday,"

with a pained air. He thought

gn it 'Pollyoo

my name," sa

oner, he would not have let her send the telegram; as it was he did. Half-way to the st

t when we get to London,

et no more

f a small bottle of champagne, the air of Mr. Wilkinson grew m

he detective clasped her left, and they walked down the platform. They had not

! How are you?" h

ladyship, and we're taking her to his grace. He will be

the Honourable John Ruffin w

ilkinson, drawing

ohn Ruffin, looking at Pollyoo

r. Wilkinson a

lyooly? I hope you had a pleasant time with Eglantine. But why

de me. He almost dragged me

apping, you know-high-handed kidnapping," said the Honourab

to the duke," sa

m my housekeeper, Wilkinson? On the last occasion, when he did the ki

Honourable John Ruffin's face to that

do you

you dragging my housekeeper, Mary Bride, along the platform of Wate

lkinson stormily. "And if you'll forgive my saying so,

by giving you in charge here and now for kidnapping my hous

n grew yet more puzzled a

e? Who is

her by the hand, Wilkinson? You should keep such tricks for maiden lad

rough!" cried Wilkinson; but

ledge of the world did not see at once that you were kidnapping the wrong pe

t was you who said so. I am Mr. Ruffin's housek

ll the t-t-t-time, and she never p-p-p-protested onc

-devilish bad-a man of your age kidnapping a child of twelve and frightening her to such an extent that she was afraid to tell you who sh

," said Mr. Wilkinson faintl

said the Honour

r quietly. We don't want to make any silly mi

"But you'd better come along to my chambers. I've got Mary Bride's little brother there and a woma

could not blame any one but himself-himself and nature. The more carefully he examined Pollyooly the more impressed he was by her likeness to Lady Marion Ricksborough. The detective was gloomy; he had lost a night

n, by definitely taking the side of the duchess in their quarrel; and he began to see plainly that the matter would never

more evidence than the warmth with which Pollyooly kissed and hugged her little brother;

ad been dismissed to the

unfortunate mistak

would have cost you hundreds. As it is, I shouldn't wonder if she would be content w

n groaned; t

istake, and I suppos

ve-pound note from his notebo

y; and dropped a curtsey, like

ould have roused the whole hotel to get

ter of a duke-by your appointment," s

of the room, and followed him. At th

er trust my

John Ruffin gently. "I think another ti