dress and a
stately waiting for the visitor, instead of going to school in her
common frock just as on ordinary days when nothing happened. But she
made no further objection, joining David on the front walk, and
telling him that "Uncle Maurice" was actually coming.

Returning at noon, Polly ran nearly all the way, so eager was she
to see if her uncle's car were in front of the house. To her
disappointment the only vehicle in sight was a grocer's team at
Colonel Gresham's side gate.

"I'm afraid he's gone," she lamented under her breath; yet she hurried
round to the kitchen door, and was relieved of her fear by hearing
voices in the living-room, her mother's and a deeper one that she did
not know.

Uncle Maurice looked a little as Polly had pictured, patterning him by
his young son; but she had not made sufficient allowance for years,
and he was older and very much bigger than she had imagined he would
be. His smile was pleasant, like Floyd's, and his greeting cordial
and even fatherly. When Dr. Dudley came in he found her chatting
familiarly upon her uncle's knee.

It was not until after dinner that Mr. Westwood spoke of Polly's
future. Then his first sentence almost caught away her breath.

"Well, Doctor, I suppose you are going to give this little girl to
me."

"It will be as Polly says," replied the physician, with a grave smile.

He did not look at Polly, who sat in a low chair near by; but she
turned to him with an exclamation on her lips. It was arrested,
however, by her uncle's response.

"It surely seems to be the only way to fix matters. To begin with, she
is my brother-in-law's daughter, and it doesn't seem fair to have her
out of the family. If my wife were living she would never hear to such
a thing, and Floyd wishes her to come to us as much as I do. She will
have a mother in my sister, who has kept house for me the last three
years, and I can give her every advantage that a girl should have. Of
course, she can visit you occasionally, and we shall always be glad
to see you in our New York home or in California. I bought a place
down on the Pacific Coast, some six years ago, and I have kept adding
to it until I have quite a ranch. It gives us an ideal home for the
coldest weather, though this last winter we made only a flying trip
there. Business called me across the water, and Floyd would rather
dabble in chemicals, and incidentally put his eyes out, than do
anything worth while. He doesn't take