s talking. I am at Dr. Dudley's. Miss Crilly is very
sick, and I came over for the Doctor; but he is out of town. Can
you come up? Yes. Yes. Good-bye!--He says he will be here in
less than ten minutes." She returned to the chair she had left, and
Polly cuddled down beside her, while Mrs. Dudley went to put her
dress in better order.

"I'll stay till he comes," said Polly comfortably. "Then I can run
and leave you to let him in--you won't mind, will you? Do tell me
more about that race, Miss Nita. Oh, don't I wish I had seen it!"

She laughed over the superintendent's probable discomfiture, and
lamented Miss Crilly's illness.

"It is too bad father isn't at home," she said musingly; "but, oh.
Miss Nita! what made you think of calling up Mr. Randolph? When
did he tell you any such thing?"

"I went to ride with him yesterday," was the quiet answer.

"You did! Wasn't that lovely! Where did you go?"

"Over to Bryston. We took dinner at Squirrel Inn."

"Oh, my!" chuckled Polly. "What will Blanche Puddicombe say?"

"I don't care what she says. Polly, he is not engaged lo her."

"He isn't? Oh, I am so glad, I don't know what to do! I didn't
want him to be engaged one bit!"

"I didn't say he wasn't engaged," returned the other demurely. "I
only said he was not engaged to Miss Puddicombe."

Polly's face fell. "Oh, dear!" she cried in a vexed tone, "I never
thought of his being engaged to anybody else! Who is it?--I don't
know that I care, but I may as well know!" Polly looked cross.

Miss Sterling laughed softly. "What a little fire-box you are!"
she said.

"Oh, yes, laugh!" pouted Polly. "Of course, you don't care,
because you don't like him as I do; but I think it is mean for him
to be engaged--just when I was so glad he wasn't! You haven't told
me who it is yet--anybody I know?"

"Yes."

"Somebody here in town, then?"

"Yes, right here."

"I don't see who it can be. I never saw him riding with anybody
but Blanche Puddicombe. Why don't you tell me?" cried Polly
impatiently.

"I said she was right here." The little woman in gray sat very
still. Her eyes were following the pattern of the rug. Her cheeks
grew red and redder.

"Why, I don't see--" began Polly. Then she started forward. "Oh,
Miss Nita! you don't mean--"

Juanita Sterling met the bright eyes, and nodded smilingly.

"Oh, Miss Nita! Miss Nita!"--Polly squeezed her friend's arm in
ecstasy--"I can't believe it!