Part 81

"It shall be as you wish, Miss Mary," said Turner, quite delighted at the order.

"And please let it be very nice, Turner," said Polly hastily.

"I will, Miss; don't fear, Miss Mary, I'll have it as nice as possible," as Polly ran off to meet Cathie.

"I should stay here every single minute I was at home if I lived here, Polly Pepper," declared Cathie. "Oh, oh!" sniffing at each discovery of a new blossom.

"Oh, no, you wouldn't, Cathie," contradicted Polly, with a laugh; "not if you had to get your lessons, and practise on the piano, and go out riding and driving, and play with the boys."

"Oh dear me!" cried Cathie, "I don't care very much for boys, because, you see, Polly, I never know what in this world to say to them."

"That's because you never had any brothers," said Polly, feeling how very dreadful such a state must be. "I can't imagine anything without Ben and Joel and Davie."

"And now you've such a lot of brothers, with Jasper and all those Whitney boys; oh, Polly, don't they scare you to death sometimes?"

Polly burst into such a merry peal of laughter, that they neither of them heard the rushing feet, until Cathie glanced up. "Oh dear me! there they are now!"

"Well, to be sure; we might have known you were here, Polly," cried Jasper, dashing up with Clare. "How do you do, Cathie?" putting out his hand cordially.

Clare gave her a careless nod, then turned to Polly. "It's to be fine," he said.

"What?" asked Polly wonderingly.

"Hold on, old chap." Jasper gave him a clap on the back. "Father is going to tell her himself. Come on, Polly and Cathie, to his room."

"Come, Cathie," cried Polly. "Let's beat those boys," she said, when once out of the greenhouse. "We're going to race," she cried over her shoulder.

"Is that so?" said Jasper. "Clare, we must beat them," and they dashed in pursuit.

But they couldn't; the two girls flew over the lawn, and reached the stone steps just a breathing space before Jasper and Clare plunged up.

"Well done," cried Jasper, tossing back the hair from his forehead.

"I didn't know you could run so well," observed Clare, with some show of interest in Cathie.

"Oh, she runs splendidly," said Polly, with sparkling eyes. "Let's try a race sometime, Jasper; we four, down the Long Path, while Cathie's here."

"Capital! We will," assented Jasper, "but now for father's room."

There sat old Mr. King by his writing table. "Well, Polly--how do you do, Cathie? I am glad to see you," he said, putting out his hand kindly.

As well as she could for her terror at being actually in that stately Mr. King's presence, Cathie stumbled forward and laid her hand in his.

"Now, Polly," said the old gentleman, turning off to pick up a little envelope lying on the table, "I thought perhaps you would like to take your young friend to the play to-night, so I have the tickets for us five," with a sweep of his hand over to the two boys.

"Grandpapa!" cried Polly, precipitating herself into his arms, "oh, how good you are!" which pleased the old gentleman immensely.

"Isn't that no-end fine!" cried Jasper in delight. "Father, we can't thank you!"

"Say no more, my boy," cried the old gentleman. "I'm thanked enough. And so, Polly, my girl, you like it," patting her brown hair.

"Like it!" cried Polly, lifting her glowing cheeks,--"oh, Grandpapa!"

"Run along with you then, all of you. Clare, be over in time."