d Chris. "There couldn't be anybody better."
And for the moment Polly almost agreed with him.

But when Dr. Dudley saw the pretty ornament he looked grave.

"It is far too expensive a present for you to accept," he objected.
"Diamonds and sapphires are costly stones. This must be worth a great
deal of money."

"Can't I keep it then?" questioned Polly plaintively. "It will break
Chris's heart if I don't."

"We needn't decide the matter to-night." He looked across the table to
his wife. "What do you think?" he asked.

"I don't know," was the doubtful reply. "How can Mr. Morrow buy such
jewelry, do you suppose? A night watchman's position cannot bring him
very high wages."

The Doctor shook his head, and narrowed his eyes in thought. Then he
began to talk of other things.

Meantime Polly was in distress. What would Chris say, if she had to
give back his beautiful present which she had promised always to keep?

The next afternoon Dr. Dudley brought the matter to a climax by
driving over to see the father of little Chris. Perhaps a talk with
him would put things in a different light. Thus reasoning, he rang
the doorbell at Mr. Morrow's boarding-house.

"They ain't here," began the woman who answered his summons. "They got
off, bag and baggage, before breakfast, this morning. He paid up all
right," she exulted, "an' when they do that I'm done with 'em. He was
a good payin' man straight along, I'll say that for him; but where
he's gone I do' know no more 'n West Peak!"

Questioning among the boarders brought no satisfaction, and the Doctor
returned home mystified and suspicious.

It was long before Polly saw little Chris again.

CHAPTER XIII

ILGA BARRON

Spring was in Fair Harbor. Tulips and hyacinths flaunted their gay
gowns in the city parks, and daffodils laughed in old-fashioned
gardens. Flocks of blackbirds, by the suburb roadsides, creaked their
joy in the sunshine, and robins caroled love ditties to their mates.
Mrs. Jocelyn's stable, too, told of spring's coming, for there stood
one of the prettiest pairs of ponies that ever trotted before a
carriage.

Already Leonora was becoming an experienced little horsewoman, though
whenever she drove there was always Philip, Mrs. Jocelyn's man, riding
close behind. Polly had had a dozen drives with David and Jonathan,
and Elsie and Brida and the others had not been forgotten.

On a Saturday morning Leonora telephoned early and invited Polly to go
to