explained Polly. "Yes, that's it! And twenty-five times you must
open and shut your mouth."

"Polly," broke in Miss Sterling, "when you can, I wish you'd tell
Mrs. Prindle how to make her hair grow."

"Yes," added Mrs. Prindle, "she says you know a way of massaging
the scalp, and my hair is so thin!"

"You'll have to take it down, I guess--so you can get at it all
over," said Polly.

"Do you know it will really help it?"

"Grandaunt Susie said her hair was so thin you could see through
it, and when she was at our house it was as thick as--as thick as
mine."

"Oh, I'm going to try that--my hair's all coming out!" Miss Lily
drew her pins from the thin coil.

Mrs. Grace and Mrs. Adlerfeld made their heads ready for
manipulation.

"You just put your hands this way, right up under your
hair,"--Polly spread out her fingers,--"and clutch at the scalp
hard, as if you were going to pull it off. Go all over the head,
again and again for five minutes--two or three times a day. Aunt
Susie says it will make the hair grow like fun."

"Oh, Miss Polly, will you be so kind as to show me just how it
goes, please?" Miss Twining was shaking down her scanty locks.

"It's very easy," Polly smiled. She liked the shy, gentle Miss
Twining. "This is all there is to it," working her hands under the
soft blond hair. "The only trouble is, it tires the hands out
pretty quick."

"Oh, yours must be tired! I should not have asked you!"

"No, no! Mine are all right. I was thinking only of yours. Now,
try it yourself. Yes, that's the way! You have it!"

"Polly!" Miss Crilly was on the floor, hugging her knee.

"I'm here!" laughed Polly.

"Do you know anything that will scare away a double chin?"

"Yes, I do!"

"Oh, jolly! What is it?"

"I'd like to hear about that!" spoke up Miss Castlevaine.

Polly thought a moment.

"You'll have to lie down--flat on your back--no, you go over on the
bed, Miss Castlevaine, and I'll tell you how to do it."

"Don't get up, Mis' Albright!" cried Miss Crilly. "I can learn how
here just as well!" She lay back, her eyes on Polly.

"I'll put this pillow right under your shoulders--so. Now throw
your head--"

A sharp rap halted the sentence. Mrs. Albright sat up. The door
was flung open before Polly reached it.

"Ladies! what does this mean?" Miss Sniffen stood there, resolute
and merciless.

Nobody answered.

Miss Twining and Miss Lily began hurriedly to gather up their