Amy Brooks

“ Just think what fun it would be to see him painting."
"I wonder if he'll let Rose watch him?" said Polly.
"There'd be no fun in going if she couldn't see him paint," declared Leslie "and if I were Rose, I WOULD watch him, if I had to peep when he wasn't looking."
"Oh you WOULDN'T!" said Vivian.
"I WOULD," said Leslie firmly, and Vivian did not reply.
"I wonder what her Aunt Lois will wear?" said Polly. "All of the portraits in our drawing room are young ladies in lovely gowns, with flowers in their hair, and jewels, many, many jewels, and plumes, and fans. ”

“ With great care Polly turned, and saw just what she feared—the ring on the boat and NO CHAIN CONNECTED!
With a white little face Polly turned, and with parted lips looked at
Rose.
"We ARE drifting—JUST DRIFTING!" she whispered hoarsely.
"Drifting!" cried Rose. "Oh, Polly, what SHALL we do?"
"Sit still," whispered Polly, "and wait—just WAIT!"
"What WILL Uncle John do? And where will he think we are?" said Rose.
"Oh, I don't know!" wailed Polly, "but I'm SURE we ought to do something. Just look how far we are from the shore, and we're going all the time!" ”

“ The carriage is at the door."
"Oh, yes, yes!" they cried.
"A studio is a lovely place in the day-time," said Polly, "and the pictures are beautiful then, but when it begins to be dark it's DIFFERENT."
"Different! I guess that's so," said the coachman; "and now, come! We'll drive home at a lively pace."
"Oh, doesn't it seem good to be safe!" cried Polly when, snugly seated in the carriage, they saw that they were on their own familiar avenue.
"Yes, and we always like to be GOING somewhere, and now we're glad that we're almost home," said Rose. ”

“ CHAPTER IV THE VILLAGE NUISANCE At Sherwood Hall Polly was greatly missed, and her playmates felt less interest in their games now that she was not with them.
In all the village there was no one so lonely as Aunt Judith. She missed the merry chatter of happy, cheery Rose. Bright, and merry she had been, even although there were many things that she longed for, and could not have, most of all, some one to love her. ”

“ Aunt Rose and Aunt Lois had been all that was kind, but Uncle John! Ah, he would LOVE her!
She had always wanted someone to love her.
"Do be careful, John," said Aunt Lois "I can't seem to think those automobiles are as safe as my carriage is."
"I'll take the best of care of my precious little passengers," he said, "and Lois!" speaking loudly, that she might hear, "I remember a ride that I took with you years ago. The horse shied at a piece of old paper in the road, at a girl with a red parasol, and a half dozen other equally harmless things. ”

“ Up the long driveway, around the house, past old Towser's kennel, pausing just long enough to kick it in order that he might growl, up the front steps and along the piazza, over its railing, across a bed of choice flowering plants, breaking some, and crushing many, around the summer house and through the grape arbor, shouting like a little wild Indian, she ran, and Inez could not get near enough to touch her.
"You're slow!" cried Gwen, "slower than an old cow! You can't run like anything, so we might as well sit down!" ”

“ She cared for no story of which she was not the heroine.
When the tale was finished and the playmates were telling Polly how fine a story it was, Gwen, speaking very loudly, made herself heard; she usually did.
"Everybody listen while I tell a story that'll scare you 'till you most can't breathe. It's a true story, too!"
"Go ahead, Gwen," said Rob.
"Yes, tell it!" said Harry. "I don't mind being scared if you can do it!"
She needed no urging.
"One time when I was little—-" she commenced, but Harry interrupted.
"When was that?" he asked.
"Stop, Harry!" whispered Leslie. ”

“ Lena replied, "so you listen."
"When the prince looked up, and saw that the lovely nymph was smiling, he felt so strong and brave that he told her that he wanted to win her, and he asked what would—would undo, oh that ISN'T the word, but that's what he meant," said Polly, "so never mind, I'll use it. He wanted to know what would undo the enchantment.
"'You can not win me until I am disenchanted. Free me, and I am yours. My enchantment must last until the ogre who dwells in this forest is killed,' whispered the nymph. ”

“ Just think who he's painted! Two dukes, one is that man with the red hair, and the eyes that laugh at you. It's out in the big room," said Rose, "don't you remember it?"
"Yes, but I like the big lady in velvet, and lace, that hangs next to him," said Polly.
"That's his wife, Mr. Kirtland said so," said Rose.
"Oh, would you think a lovely lady like that would marry a man with red hair?" said Polly.
"P'raps she liked red hair," Rose said, "and Polly, did you ever see anything so cunning as that picture of a little girl with her hands full of roses?" ”

“ Harry laughed, and then, having delivered his message, he ran down the driveway, and up the avenue to call for his chum, Rob.
He nodded to Inez as he passed her, whistling gaily as he hurried along.
"Girls are queer," he said, pausing in his whistling solo, to speak his thoughts.
"Even nice girls are queer SOMETIMES," he murmured. "Of course Princess Polly is always pleasant, and my sister Leslie isn't even odd, but Inez is freaky, and Vivian, well,—she's something like Inez." ”

“ Quickly two strong arms were around her, holding her fast, as he whispered:
"WHY, little girl? Tell me WHY?"
"Because you love me," sobbed Rose. "Aunt Judith took care of me because she HAD to, but she always said it was a nuisance, and now Aunt Rose and Aunt Lois are kind and good to me, and they like to have me with them, but they never—"
The soft little voice paused.
"They'd never think to hold me if I felt badly, and sometimes I'm so lonely. Other little girls have mamas to care for them, and big, tall papas who love them, and truly aunts, real GOOD aunts aren't the same." ”

“ Inez looked at Polly's eyes, and saw the regret that they so plainly expressed.
She would have been pleased if her little playmates had never mentioned
Rose.
"And once," continued Polly, "we played that we were fairy queens, and we made flower crowns. It was early morning, and we tried to pick the flowers with the dew on them, but the dewdrops fell off. Then we sprinkled them with water from the brook, and they sparkled like diamonds."
Inez moved uneasily.
"We have fine times together," said Vivian, "but it was still brighter when Rose was here." ”

“ Where?"
"Just behind the hedge," whispered Polly.
Rose looked, and in an opening at the lower part of the hedge she saw a bit of a dark gray frock.
"Oh, it's Evangeline Longfellow Jenks, the little girl that's going to be a poet," whispered Rose.
"But you said her poetry was funny," said Polly, as softly as Rose had spoken.
"It IS" declared Rose, "but she keeps writing it all the time."
Just then Evangeline's round, white face again appeared above the hedge, and at that moment Aunt Rose came out on the porch.
"Come over here, Evangeline," she said kindly, "and meet our little guest." ”

“ Together they ran down the stairway to the parlor.
How cool it was! Vines that hung upon the piazza shaded the windows, and flickering sunbeams danced upon the polished floor, and brightened the color of the Persian rug.
The portraits seemed to look with interest at Polly, and she smiled back at them, and nodded as she passed them.
"They look like real people," she said, "and it doesn't seem polite to pass them without nodding."
"I know it," agreed Rose, "and I nod and smile at them, but the picture at the end of the room smiles more than the others do. Come, and see him." ”

“ Here was a cheery, handsome young uncle, in place of the unattractive old uncle that she had supposed awaited her.
"Don't remove your wreath," he said, as she raised her hands toward the flowers, "because it is really very becoming. Were you playing alone when I arrived?"
"Oh, no," said Rose, "I was so glad when I saw you, because—" she hesitated.
"Because?" he said, his eyes twinkling.
"Because you aren't OLD. I thought my Uncle John MUST be 'most ninety," she said softly, so that Aunt Lois might not hear.
"And Polly, Princess Polly, was with me. She's my little guest. May I bring her now? ”

“ Vivian and Blanche, with Lena Lindsey, were walking with their arms about each other's waists. It was really too warm to play, but it was never too warm to talk.
"Just think," said Vivian, "when Polly is here, we play no matter how hot it is."
"Yes, except when we coax her to tell us some stories," said Lena. "She's fun to play with, because when we're tired of the old games, she can always make up a new one," said Vivian.
And while Polly's friends were talking lovingly of her, she had been telling Rose many pleasant things of the playmates that both so well knew. ”

“ A white gull circled near them, and the whirring of its wings made Polly open her eyes.
"A great gull!" she whispered, then, oh, the joy in her cry:
"'The Dolphin!' 'The Dolphin!'"
Rose scrambled to her knees.
"Oh, it is! It is! DEAR Uncle John!" she cried.
It was a quick turn from terror in the little boat to joy and safety in the big yacht, with Uncle John, big, brave Uncle John, to care for them.
"You must tell me all about this," he said, when they were once aboard the yacht, "but not a word until after we've had a wee lunch." ”

“ Polly could not imagine why such antics could be amusing, and she knew that her mama would not like any such rough play.
"You don't seem to want to," said Gwen; "are you afraid of your clothes, or don't you dare to risk the bumps?"
"I don't think mama would like it," Polly said, gently, "but I'll play
'Hide-and-Seek' with you, or any game you like."
"Oh, I don't care for those old games," said Gwen, "so I'll tell you what we'll do. Come over to the stable and you get your coachman to let us have the horse and the cow. You ride the horse barebacked and I'll ride the cow. Come on! ”

“ True, a large screen kept both artist and sitter apart from the rest of the studio, but Arthur Kirtland liked to be wholly alone, and undisturbed while painting a portrait, and he was very glad when the children tired of the pictures in the large studio, and went out into the small room.
"He didn't look like what you guessed, did he?" said Rose, when together they seated themselves in the little room.
"No, not a bit, and the reason you could guess what he was like was because you'd seen him," said Polly, "and when he made the funny little bow just as you did, I almost laughed." ”

“ It was in vain that Blanche told her that a new doll would be as dear as the old one, the little girl refused to play, and her cherub face looked very sad, the dimples failing to show, because the smiles would not appear.
"That bad boy, Gyp, has took it," she wailed.
"Oh, Dollie, he might take a kite, or a ball from Harry, and Rob, but he wouldn't want a doll! Just think! What would HE do with a doll?" ”

“ Lena Lindsey, with her brother Rob, Leslie Grafton, and Harry, Vivian Osborne, and, indeed, all of her little friends and playmates hastened to see her, to hear from Rose, and to tell all of the small neighborhood happenings that had occurred while she had been away.
"I've three white rabbits," said Rob, "and I want to show them to you,
Polly."
"And mama has bought the dearest angora kitten for me. I wish you'd come down soon and see it," urged Leslie; "it's just a baby cat and you can't help loving her, she's so cunning." ”

“ Nora replied dryly.
"Come Polly," said Rose. "There's nothing else to do but to go in."
With lagging steps they walked along the path and turned toward the house. Then for the first time they saw the automobile in which the guest had arrived.
"Why, who drove him here?" said Rose. "Look! There's no man waiting in it, and if he's NINETY he wouldn't drive alone, would he?" ”

“ After the sweet little letter had been read, and Lena had asked for a second reading, Polly put it back into its envelope, and they talked of what Rose had written.
"Only think," said Polly, "her Aunt Rose doesn't wish her to be away from the house to go to school, so she's to have a private tutor at home, a music teacher, and a dancing teacher, and they're all to come to her house. She won't be in school with other little girls at all." ”

“ The earth swings round and round.
The cat's asleep, and so are my feet,
So I'll write no more till anon."
"Why, what DOES she mean?" said Lena, when she could stop laughing long enough to ask.
"I don't know," said Polly, laughing as heartily as Lena did, "and the funny thing is that Evangeline says anyone could write poetry that folks understand. She says it's just TWICE as bright to make verses that NOBODY could understand!
"I wouldn't want to have to play with her, and Rose says she runs away whenever she sees Evangeline coming," said Polly. ”

“ When I try to pick out a tune on the piano, the notes sound so loud, I turn around to see if Aunt Rose is provokt, but she never folows me. There's a portrate of a funny old man that hangs at the end of the parlor, and I always think he's watching me. When I smile, he seems to smile, and when I'm lonsum, he doesn't look jolly at all. ”

“ We'll just skip over to the ice cream parlor, and we'll be back long before he's done painting. Come along! If you don't, I'll think you don't want to, and that isn't nice when I've asked you," said Lester. "Oh, dear, it isn't polite to let him think that when I'm wild to go, and I just KNOW Polly is," thought Rose.
"Are you SURE it won't take us long to go, and get back?" Polly asked.
"Oh, it's just a step!" said Lester.
"There's a nice little old lady keeps the place, and she gives you awful big ice creams for five cents. You have 'em on a marble table in her little parlor. ”

“ I like to have gifts, but, oh, I LOVE to know folks care to give them to me. That's BEST of all."
"Dear little girl, you are right about that," Uncle John said heartily, "and now run and get your wraps, and we'll spin away to the shore."
"Oh, Polly, Princess Polly, Princess Polly! ISN'T he dear?" whispered Rose, when together they climbed the stairway to help Nora to choose what they would need for the visit.
"Oh, Nora!" cried Rose, "why didn't you tell me he wasn't old at all?" ”

“ I'll tell Rob, and he'll help us make it jolly. He always does, and he likes Rose as well as we do."
"And who's Lester Jenks?" Lena asked, "is he the poetry girl's brother?"
"Oh, no, he's her cousin, and he's full of fun, and fine to play with," said Polly, "and he thinks Evangeline is pokey, and he laughs at her poetry. I didn't laugh at it, and I don't think he was nice to. I told him so, and he only laughed harder."
"He told Rose to tell me that he's going to send me a Valentine this year, and he says he's found a new place to get ice cream just a little way from where Rose lives. ”