occasionally talk would flag. There was no other rented house in
the neighborhood, and Dr. Dudley must live in the immediate vicinity
of the hospital to retain his position there. This Polly gathered from
what passed between her father and mother, and she returned to school
in no mood for study or play. Later a thought came which she felt sure
would solve the problem. It was not until after tea that she made the
proposition.

"Father," she began, atilt on the arm of his chair, "should you like
to buy this house yourself?"

"Possibly, if I had plenty of money; but what little I have is tied up
where I can't get at it conveniently."

"Oh, then you can buy it right away!" Polly cried gleefully. "You can
take my two thousand dollars! Won't that be enough?"

Dr. Dudley's lips set themselves firmly, and he shook his head.

"No, Thistledown, I cannot touch your money. Don't you remember, I
told you it must stay where it is until you are of age?"

"Oh, but this is different!" she urged. "Please take it--do!"

Her entreaties, however, could not prevail against the Doctor's
judgment.

"What shall we do, then?" she complained.

"Keep still for the present," he laughed. "The house isn't sold yet,
perhaps won't be. Don't worry over it, Thistledown! There will be some
way out, and a good way, too. Your Cousin Floyd told me to-night that
the Royal is due to-morrow. You know that is the steamer his father
sailed on, so you may expect to see your uncle by Friday. Floyd thinks
he will come up at once."

"I shall like him if he is as nice as Floyd," returned Polly
thoughtfully.

Dr. Dudley said nothing. He was weighing love and legal rights against
wealth and near kinship. The balance did not appear to be in his
favor.

On Thursday Polly was thrown into a pleasant excitement by the
telephone message that came to Dr. Dudley. Uncle Maurice Westwood was
in New York, and would motor up to Fair Harbor the next morning, to
see his son and his new niece.

"I shall have to stay home from school, shan't I?" Polly questioned
eagerly.

"I think not," was the quiet answer. "It is uncertain what time he
will come, so things had better go on as usual."

"But what if he should go back before I got home?" worried Polly.

Mrs. Dudley laughed. "No danger of that! Don't you think your uncle
will be as anxious to see you as you are to see him?"

"Maybe," she replied doubtfully.

She felt that so unusual an occasion called for her best