Emma C. Dowd

“ He is, as you know, an abnormally sensitive child, who will grieve for “daddy” to the breaking of his heart, unless you open your heart and home and take him in. You were good to him once, and he loves you and your Polly. I am sure he would be happy with you. Will you do this kindness for me? No, not for me,—a man who has not the slightest claim upon you and who would not deserve it if he had,—but for the sake of his angel mother, for the sake of the poor little kid himself, perhaps you will not refuse.
Chris does not know where I am, and he must not be told,—he must never know. ”

“ CHAPTER XVI ROSES AND THORNS David pulled a rose from the little bush by the house corner, and began to chew its petals.
“Don’t do that!” begged Polly. “It doesn’t want to be eaten up.”
The boy laughed, looking ruefully down at the jagged edges of the flower.
“It isn’t sweet anyway,” he argued. “If I were a rose I’d be sweet, and I wouldn’t have thorns. But then,” he went on thoughtfully, “people are a good deal like roses. Some are sweet, and some aren’t; but ’most everybody has thorns somewhere.” ”

“ Polly was silent, but her lips were set, and her eyes grew ominously dark.
“Now, in the first place, you shall have anything in the world you wish,—dolls, toys, and a playroom to keep them in, and a whole library of story-books. Then parties—whew, you ought to see what parties Julian and Harold have! They’d make you open your eyes with envy!”
“Mrs. Jocelyn gave me a beautiful birthday party,” responded Polly with dignity.
“Ah? But it wasn’t a New York party. You don’t know what kind of parties we get up in New York. Why, the flowers for the boys’ last affair cost two hundred dollars!” ”

“ One night “daddy” did not appear, until the sick boy, who for hours had strained his ears for the step he loved, was in a state of agitation which the combined efforts of nurse and physician failed to calm.
At last Polly was summoned, and although her arguments were not unlike those put forth by the others, they were made in such simple faith as to carry greater force.
“He’d come if he was alive! I know he would!” the boy had been tearfully reiterating. “He must be dead—oh, daddy! daddy!” ”

“ She dallied with the towel until there was no further excuse, she brushed her hair into unaccustomed smoothness; finally she went slowly over to her little desk, and took up the envelope, at last sealing it hurriedly, lest her courage should utterly fail. She would slip out to the letter-box, and have the miserable business done with as soon as possible.
She had reached the door, her hand on the knob, when she heard a step in the corridor—her mother’s step. She halted guiltily, with quick intuition thrusting the letter behind her.
“Polly! are you here? May I come in?” ”

“ Even Ilga herself, turning to gloat over the effect of her words, was so startled that she led the way quickly upstairs to the school room, leaving Polly standing there alone, her horrified brown eyes staring out of a colorless face.
[Pg 27]
“What in the world’s the matter?” cried Glen Stewart, appearing in the outer doorway, at the head of a string of girls. “Are you sick?”
“No—yes—oh, I don’t know!” she stammered, catching her breath piteously.
They clustered around her, distressed and helpless.
“Are you faint? I’ll get you a drink!” And Lilith Brooks ran to fetch a glass. ”

“ Neither father nor mother was on the piazza, as Polly had hoped they would be. She was eager to feel their arms around her. She pushed the bell-button again and again, but there was no answer. It was dismally dark at Colonel Gresham’s, too, and not the murmur of a voice came to her as she listened.
“They are all out riding, probably,” she explained to herself discouragedly. It was a lonesome home-coming indeed. She walked slowly over to the hammock, and dropped into it. Anyway she was at home—that was a comfort.
“And they’ll come pretty soon,” she thought gladly. “They never stay out late.” ”

“ I wish you’d come and see daddy sometime. He gets here every night right after six o’clock.”
“I’d love to!” Polly beamed. “Fathers are beautiful, I think. Of course, mothers are—but fathers!” Her curls gave the emphasis.
“I know!” cried little Chris, his eyes ashine. “Daddy’s the dearest that ever was! Why, if anything should happen to daddy—there might, while I’m here and can’t take care of him!—oh, I don’t know what I should do!” Fear crept over the sweet face.
“I wouldn’t worry about it,” counseled Polly cheerily. “Big men can take care of themselves better than little folks like us can.” ”

“ Some people will let their children die, rather than send them to a hospital. So Leonora and I have been choosing—what do you think of this, ‘The Children’s House of Joy’?”
“Isn’t that perfectly beautiful?” whispered Leonora to Polly, catching her hand with a little squeeze.
And so Polly missed her father’s answer; but she knew from the comments of the others that it must have been in favor of the proposed name.
“This brings us to another question,” resumed the hostess. “Dr. Dudley, do you know of a suitable man for the head of ‘The House of Joy’?” ”

“ The Doctor rested his cheek lightly on the sunny curls, saying nothing. They were still sitting in silence when Mrs. Dudley came in. Polly and her father understood each other without words.
The Senator’s daughter carried out the hopes of the doctors to the highest degree, and there came a day when Polly, at Ilga’s own request, was sent for.
Miss Hortensia Price was the sick girl’s nurse, and Polly had learned with surprise that a strong friendship was growing between them. ”

“ She took the chair beside him, and recounted the story of the intermediate entertainment, intuitively omitting the part which Ilga played. That it was appreciated by her listener Polly could not doubt.
“You must come and see me again,” he invited, as she rose to go. “I think you may do me more good than the Doctor.”
“Oh, no!” she objected softly; “I couldn’t do anything better than father! He cures everybody.” ”

“ She had heard the coal bill spoken of awhile ago,—yes, when she was getting ready for New York,—but she had given it no thought. And her mother had bought her new things to wear! Distress swept her heart. She was an added expense—ought she to have gone to live with her uncle? He was rich. He could pay his coal bills. He was never in pinch. Oh! did her father and mother wish she had gone? There was no peace for Polly. Dutifully she crept over to the hospital to see Ilga, but found her in a pettish mood, and she returned home more disturbed than before. ”

“ The sound of light hoofs speeding down the street turned the attention from the weighty subject of marriage back to the Colonel himself.
“That isn’t he, it’s a little man,” observed Polly.
“I knew it wasn’t Lone Star’s step,” David replied. “Besides, he doesn’t come home so early as this.”
“Oh, say,” Polly broke out in an undertone of excitement, “let’s go up on Oregon Avenue! Maybe we should meet them!”
“I don’t suppose they always go that way,” mused David; “but it wouldn’t do any harm to take a walk—”
“No, come on!” urged Polly, jumping up. “But I must lock the house first. ”

“ He did not look at Polly, who sat in a low chair near by; but she turned to him with an exclamation on her lips. It was arrested, however, by her uncle’s response.
“It surely seems to be the only way to fix matters. To begin with, she is my brother-in-law’s daughter, and it doesn’t seem fair to have her out of the family. If my wife were living she would never hear to such a thing, and Floyd wishes her to come to us as much as I do. She will have a mother in my sister, who has kept house for me the last three years, and I can give her every advantage that a girl should have. ”

“ I hate to study in such warm weather! I want to stay outdoors instead of being shut up in a stuffy room.”
“It is horrid,” agreed Patricia, “but I don’t dare be lazy. I have to get good reports [Pg 185] to send back to Nevada. If I didn’t stand high, papa’d have a conniption.”
“I’m going to study better next week,” decided Polly, “so I’ll be a thornless rose, like you.”
“Dear me, I have thorns enough!” Patricia laughed. “Mamma says I’m selfish and careless and, oh, I don’t know what! So, you see, they scratch her. What’s your thorn, David?” ”

“ They aren’t stuck up a bit, though I guess they’re awfully rich. They came from ’way out West—I forget the name of the place. It’s where Patricia’s father’s got a mine. And she hasn’t ever been to school much, only studied with her mother, and rode horseback, and all that. Aunt Julia said she was coming to our school, and I think she’s lovely; don’t you?”
“Sweet as she can be!” agreed Polly.
“I know why Ilga pounced on her so quick,” confided Betty. “I’ll bet she heard me telling Lilith and some of the other girls that she was rich, and that’s just why. ”

“ A group of girls were removing their wraps, among which was Ilga Barron. Two of them nodded carelessly to Polly, and then went on talking in low tones, with side glances towards the new-comer. Polly hurried off her coat and hat, but before they were on their hook Ilga broke out in a loud whisper, plainly intended to carry across the hall:—
“Dr. Dudley don’t know much anyway! He’s got a sister that’s an idiot—a real idiot! They have to keep her shut up!” ”

“ Robert Dudley,” broke in Mrs. Jocelyn, laughingly, “I’m not going to allow any such insinuations. It shall be bread and butter and cookies for tea, if you wish; but you are not going to spoil our good time. Just look at those children! They are worrying their hearts out for fear you won’t let them play hostess together.”
At that, the disturbed faces broadened into smiles, and presently the Doctor asked Polly if she had shown Leonora the new paper dolls that Burton Leonard’s mother had sent her. Which delicate hint told her that the elder people preferred to discuss the matter alone. ”

“ What do you think, Polly May Dudley! I’m goin’ to live with Mrs. Jocelyn!—all the time!—forever! She’s adopted me!”
Polly stared, and then let out her astonishment in a big “O-h!” This was, indeed, something unguessable. “Isn’t that lovely!” she cried in delight. “I’m so glad!—just as glad as I can be!”
“Of course you are! Everybody is,” Leonora responded blissfully. [Pg 15] They went in doors arm in arm, stopping in Dr. Dudley’s office, their tongues more than keeping pace with their steps. ”

“ The lady was on the other side of Uncle David; but I’m sure it was the same one.”
“But couldn’t he take a lady to ride without marrying her?” asked Polly slowly.
[Pg 199]
“Why, I suppose some men do,” answered David; “but mamma says when a man of his age—who hasn’t been round with the ladies for years and years—takes one out evening after evening, it isn’t for nothing. And mamma says, of course, when he brings a wife home we can’t stay. Oh, I don’t know what we shall do! I thought we should live here with Uncle David always. It is making mamma just sick. ”

“ I wish your uncle would get some. Why don’t you ask him, David?”
“You may,” he evaded.
“I believe you don’t dare,” Polly cried. “David Collins, are you afraid of him yet? Why, I don’t see how you can be, he is so nice.”
[Pg 187]
The lad laughed. “I suppose I can’t quite get over those years I stood in such awe of him,” he confessed. “But,” he added, “he’s fine; nobody could be finer.”
“Polly was telling me the other day,” put in Patricia, “about the time she and Colonel Gresham chased after Dr. Dudley for you. I wish I could have seen Lone Star go.” ”

“ When she awoke Polly found herself hugging a cold pillow, and she suddenly remembered that Joe was to have come to fill up the heater. Could the fire have gone out? The question brought dismay. If she could only get down cellar!
Her foot and ankle ached unbearably, and she tried to take off her shoe; but it held fast. She pulled and pushed and twisted, gasping with pain; the boot would not stir.
“Colonel Gresham would let Oscar come over and ’tend to the heater, if he only knew,” she muttered sadly—and then a hope popped up. ”

“ I am, am I? Well, you are a regular nobody! You put on airs just because Dr. Dudley adopted you; but he isn’t anybody! He wouldn’t stay at the hospital for that little bit of a salary if he was. He can’t get a place anywhere else—he’s a no—body!”
Ilga knew her victim well enough to realize that any taunt flung at the adored father would rebound upon his daughter [Pg 24] with double force, and she winked exultingly to her companions as Polly made no attempt at retort, but went straight to her desk and bent her white, drawn little face over her speller. ”

“ Isn’t it, Polly? We’re third cousins! I found it in the Genealogy last night! Her mother was an Illingworth!”
Ilga’s face lighted.
“Oh, you’re ’way off!” she broke out. “She isn’t related to her mother at all. She’s only an adopted child.”
“But I mean her real mother!” returned Patricia indignantly. “Her own mother was Phebe Illingworth, and was second cousin to my father—as if I didn’t know!”
[Pg 48]
“I don’t care!” Ilga retorted. And she ran up the stairs.
Some of the girls, standing by, snickered; but Polly and Patricia gazed soberly at each other. ”

“ There are Leonora and David and Patricia, to start with,” began Polly, “and Elsie Meyer and Brida McCarthy and Cornelius O’Shaughnessy.”
Mrs. Dudley, writing down the names, smiled her sanction.
“I want to invite as many of the girls at school as I can,” Polly went on thoughtfully, “Lilith Brooks and Betty Thurston anyway—oh, and Hilda Breese! I must have Hilda. She is a new scholar, but such a dear! How many does that make?”
“Eight girls, with you, and two boys.”
“Only three more girls!” mused Polly anxiously. “I can’t leave out Aimée Gentil, and I meant to ask Mabel Camp and Mary Pender.” ”

“ An’ Susie couldn’t! The good God knows how much we c’n stand, and he eases things up for us.
“Now, my dear, it’s just so with your mother. She loves you more—yis, more—than you do her, an’ do you think she stays away from you? Why, no, dearie, she’s right here, takin’ care o’ you all the time!”
“Oh! do you really s’pose that?” cried Polly joyously.
“My dear, my dear!” the little man’s voice was tense with feeling, “I don’t s’pose—I know! Ther’ ’s nothin’ in all God’s universe so strong as love, and so what is there to keep love away from us? For, of course, our folks don’t stop lovin’ us. ”