ing
on the piazza steps, when the hotel car was sighted up the dusty road.

"We'd better scoot," advised Carl Webster, "or some of the new folks
may agree with old Mrs. Chatterton, that they 'never did see such a
raft o' young ones!'"

The imitation of the fidgety little woman's voice and manner was so
complete that the others broke into laughter; but nobody moved.

The car was slowing up, and Polly, turning carelessly to look, gave a
little cry of astonishment. Then, to the surprise of the rest, she
darted down the steps.

"Ilga!--Miss Price!"--her words stopped short, for Ilga was on her
feet--was stepping forward! Her face matched her joyful greeting.

In a minute Patricia was there, asking excited questions and begging
the invalid to be careful.

"As if I were not crawling!" laughed Ilga. "Oh, it does seem so
splendid to walk! I've got lots of messages for you, Polly. Your
father came to the station to see me off--just think of that! Wasn't
it lovely of him? And your mother made me a long call yesterday! I
wouldn't let anybody tell you a thing about my coming--I wanted to
surprise you! You were surprised, weren't you?" she queried anxiously.

"I'm so surprised I can't think," laughed Polly. "Did you know it when
I came away--that you were coming, too?"

"We'd just spoken of it, hadn't we, Miss Price? It wasn't a bit sure
then. I was wild to come--just wild!" Ilga dropped into the easy chair
placed for her, and drew a long, happy breath.

"Aren't you awfully tired?" questioned Patricia.

"Oh, I guess not!--I don't know. I only know I'm here and it's
beautiful! Father and mother are coming next week; won't that be
grand?"

So the pleasant talk went on, until Miss Price carried her patient
away to supper and rest.

Merry days followed. Polly, remembering the old Ilga and her few
school friends, looked delightedly upon the popularity which this
subdued, humbled girl was winning. Once such attention might have
incited her to overbearing conduct; now it seemed only to make her
fairly beam with good-fellowship and happiness. "And she actually
loves father!" Polly would smilingly tell herself, secretly rejoicing
in the fact; but she rarely spoke of the change even to Patricia. It
was enough that the miracle had been wrought. It did not need to be
passed about in words.

Although somewhat against his father's wishes, Harold remained for the
week which he had started to spend in Fair Harbor; but all his
plea