e happened to come in before she reached the porch
where her mother was sitting with her brother.

Her father had not arrived, having gone to some business meeting which
was sure to keep him late. Uncle Dick was lolling back in a porch
chair. "Hello, youngsters," he cried as he caught sight of his nieces.
"How are you getting along? What do you think of each other?"

Polly ran to him, and perching herself upon the arm of the chair,
turned up his nose with an impertinent finger. "Badness," she said,
"why did you tell me that Molly looked like a wax doll?"

"Did I tell you that? Well, if I were a maker of wax dolls, I could
make one just like her, I think, if I had some of old Doc's tail for
hair and two pieces of coal for eyes."

"Her eyes aren't black; they're like two pieces of brown velvet,"
objected Polly, "and her hair isn't a bit like Doc's tail; it is as
soft as silk. Your nose must go up higher for that, sir." She gave
his nose an extra tilt while he squirmed under the process.

"There, there, Polly, that is high enough!" he exclaimed; "it will
never come down again if you turn it up too high."

"I hope it will not," said Polly; "I hope it will stay turned up like
Dicky-pig's."

"Who is Dicky-pig?" asked Molly.

"Oh, he is a little pig I named after my beautiful uncle; he looks just
like him," said Polly mirthfully.

"Does your brother look like a pig?" Dick asked his sister.

Mrs. Shelton smiled as she looked at the handsome youth. "I don't
detect a striking resemblance," she replied, rising to leave.

"Well, he acts like one sometimes," declared Polly. "I want to know,
too," she went on, to her uncle, "if you have been telling Molly things
about me that aren't so."

"He said you were wild as a March hare and looked like an Apache
Indian," announced Molly from the other side of the chair, giving her
uncle's hair a tweak.

"Two to one is not fair," cried Dick. "I draw the line at having my
hair pulled out by the roots; it is quite enough to have my nose mauled
all out of shape. Here, young woman, you must be kept in better order.
Polly, you are setting a bad example to your cousin; never before has
she pulled my hair." He grabbed first one and then the other, stowed
them away under his knees and held them tight.

"You're spoiling my clean frock," complained Polly. "Let me out and
I'll not turn up your nose." Dick loosed his hold, "till the next
time," added Polly darting away.

Di