Polly of Lady Gay Cottage

ll cut sharp int

le Dr. Dudley and his wife were taking their wedding journey. Still dimpling with laughter, s

know, the one that married Aunt Jane-has got hurt, and he wants to see me. I hope he isn

h you," Mrs. D

they went out into the

as awaiting the

Polly anxiously. "What d

was the grave answer. "He was on his

Polly e

belonged to your mother. Do you r

en all about it-there's a wreath o

ctor n

ach great value to the

hat is

first thing he called for when he regained consciousness. I thought he had better defer see

stinctively shrinking from contact with the woman in

ng negative. "He begged

"I guess he's glad to get away from he

bserved the Doctor, rising. "She will have to be notified. Come, we will

. In their whiteness his pinched features seemed mor

y dear!" the wiry hand was

ically, and told him how so

t her with tende

asn't but six when she-went. But you look consider'ble like her-wish'

rinkled hand, not

'll like," the little man bright

ed covers, and finally brought out the li

ty it is!" She received

ce grew sudde

g afterwards. It's locked,"-as Polly pulled at the cover,-"and there ain't no key," he mourned. "I do' know

ight," Polly

ding the little box in her ha

ed," he went on reminiscently, "an' she opened it and sho

errupted excite

ind o' eyes. It was goin' to be for your birth

ollowing his words, and now b

ave it! How could she keep it, whe

adow of pain passed over the man's f

nd o' upset yer, likely, and so-" His voice faltered. He began again bravely. "You m

x. Her eyes were wet, but she smil

sent it," she said sweetly; "and I th

mile puckered

red, "'t 'ud been the mornin' Gabriel come! But Ja

r a moment, feeling a

said likely they wouldn't care nothin' 'bout you, seein' 's they never'd known yer, and it would only put false notions into yer

onishing bit of news had thrown her mind into a tum

n coming, and sh

they?" she prodded.

had not read the letter, and recolle

ways sure. Anyhow they was millionaires, Jane said she guessed

y interposed, his fingers

" he smiled, yet the smile

little rosewood box, after again expr

ed as she. But there was a difference; Polly's wondering thoughts flew stra

ous accident, grimly wished to himself that the little man had suffered the rosewood box to remain hidden in his wife's bureau drawer. Of course, Polly was legally his own, yet these unknown relatives of hers,-with w

he put both box and

d delightedly. "H

ot. That pleasure

key in the lock, and ca

top, which she caught up, and

obbed, pressing the

e looked across at his wife, and their eyes met in perfect understanding. The moment they had both dreaded was postponed, and they

rait of a lovely, girlish woman, with dark,

. "Isn't she sweet?" She leaned lightly against h

her, the Doctor could fe

ng from their satisfying praise of the one she loved, to gaze into t

And I thought, may be, there'd be some cousins too! But, then," she went on cheerfully, "it isn't as if the letter was

d that Polly did not dream of what was undoubtedly the case,-that the letter was from her mother, written a

en surmised, and presently she carried the photograph up to her own little room