Polly of Lady Gay Cottage

r the party Polly w

she filled up the time by giving

e off two or three great thorns. "That is, most of you," she amended. "Let me see, you, and you, and

n't keep more than

up from the grapefr

number to look

h," she mused. "I'd leave only one for us, but if Leonora should come, she might be afraid I didn't care for th

her mother's appr

iss Butler-that makes seven," counting them slowly on her fingers. "I don't know who I will give the eighth to-there are plenty of folk

e eleven?" broke in th

yesterday," laughed Polly. "I'

a party day; it is when you get back to the

a little, because I have all these roses to give away. Ar

and Polly skipped on ahead, cautioning the Doctor to be sure not

ving the freedom of the hospital almost as much as Dr. Dudley himself, she flitted in and out

ward, where she was so eagerly seized upon that she escaped only by ple

o the children, or to give it to a boy in the surgical ward with whom she had

th bandaged eyes, lying on a couch. He w

agrance from the half-blown rose answered her. "He can smell it, e

turned h

ay roses?" she asked. "It is ver

quite outside of my programme. In fact, I had almost

fore yesterday

ce that the number of ro

softly. "O

irthday matched the roses. This is very beaut

ious birthday! I rea

ting. Can't you sit down

chool," she hesitated. "I d

m his pocket, and hel

ven minutes! I can

mediate entertainment, intuitively omitting the part which Ilga pla

nvited, as she rose to go. "I think yo

"I couldn't do anything better

man smiled

'father' is?

you knew. I'm Polly Dudley

ad a card somewhere. Probably it was seized with the rest of my belongings. That seems to be a way they have at hospital

ious name," Polly

of his mou

often," he told her, as she put he

romised. "But it's fat

soberly, "it doesn't look

yes went

ead her silence, fo

girl, it may be I shall have more c

laughed, "you needn't worry a single m

hty reassuring. I am glad you

. He didn't tell her she'd die, for she's only six years old; but he said she couldn't ever go out to play, or have any more good times, unless they took her to the hospital to cure her. And she looked up at him, just as sober, and said, 'I'm scared! I'm scared!'-not a thing else! They brought her up here in t

come out

her head this way, and grinned." Polly's curls waved vigorously. "After a few days she grew worse, and they had a consultation, and three or four doctors were there. Father thought she looked

," smiled Mr. Westwood. "I know all right wha

e, her eyes fell upon the watch whic

forgot all about school! Goo

where she had lef

ame up from New York to see a friend, and while he was assisting with some chemical work he was temporarily blinded by an explosi

as eagerly as the patient himself for the day when his bandaged eyes should be released. Only in Polly's heart there was not a little regret mingled with her anticipated joy, for that would her

f these little visits, whe

et me a yard more of this ribbon," she requested; "I fi

in a jiffy-a ten-minut

he corner so briskly that she nearly ran into a lit

Bean!" s

y! little Polly! How do you

to the department store, he turned about, and walked alon

d o' upset 'n' cranky lately, or I should 'a' asked her about it before. I guess I

rstandingly. "I can wait to know about my relatives. If Aun

ve it for yer soon's I see my way to it. Sometime when Jane'

l sped Polly. She found her friend impatiently st

concluded you were tired of coming to be eyes for a poor old

to take him in fun or in earnest. Now his face was serious; but she

o play after school. I went on an errand for mother, and then I met Mr. Bean, and he stop

ou related to the Mays? how? Tell me!"

s. I guess I haven't told you." Polly never talked of her adoption, instinctively

but won't you te

rried," she explained simply. "Papa and mamma were

own father?" The words tumbled cl

d dazedly. Something was i

e? Was it Illingworth? Phebe Illing

ped Polly. "How

which he caught in a strong grip. "My mother was your father's

een the father and the "baby" of his family, of the hasty leaving home of the boy, of the meagre news of his early marriage, and lastly of the years t

Dudley was firm, and the eager eyes were not uncovered. Polly soon slipped away to share her joy wi