hear the whistle of the cars in the distance and
knew there was barely time to reach the station before the train would
stop.

It was an important occasion, for would not the express bring Molly's
Cousin Polly whom she had always longed to meet? And not only Polly
was coming but their Uncle Dick who was bringing Polly all the way from
Colorado to the east. Uncle Dick was not so much of a novelty as
Polly, but he was quite as ardently expected, for he was the jolliest
fellow in the world, Molly thought, and, though he teased her
unmercifully, he was full of jokes and funny quips and amusing
anecdotes, besides being generous in the extreme and always ready to
put himself out to do a kind turn. As for Polly, Molly had many
conjectures concerning her. What sort of girl would she be who had
always lived on a ranch far away from the rest of the world; a girl who
had never been to school and only a few times to church, who had never
seen a big city, nor an automobile, nor even a trolley car? Would she
be very wild indeed, whooping like a savage Indian and eating with her
knife like an untutored woodsman? Would Molly be ashamed to have her
friends meet her? These questions, to which the answer was so near,
Molly asked herself for the hundredth time as she walked toward the
station.

Already the train was slowing up and in a few moments Molly was
standing tiptoe, looking eagerly along the line of cars. Then she
watched each person who descended the steps till at last she was
rewarded by the sight of a tall young man who lifted down a little girl
about Molly's age, a fair-haired, rosy-cheeked little girl, prettily
dressed, and in no way suggesting a wild Indian. The instant Molly saw
her, she was seized with a fit of shyness and could not follow her
first impulse to rush forward. Instead she waited where she was till
the two came up.

"Hello!" cried Uncle Dick. "I expected you would come at least to the
next station to meet us, and here you are backing away instead."

Feeling that Polly might think that she really did not show the
eagerness to see her that she ought to expect, Molly put out her hand
but was presently seized in Polly's fervent hug. "Oh, but I am glad to
see you," she said. "I could scarcely wait to get here, could I, Uncle
Dick? It's such a long way and to-day was the longest one of all."

"I've been just crazy to see you, too," returned Molly. "I was so
afraid it would rain hard and mother wo