ste time in conversation with him, nor to
explain why she was in such a hurry to go on with her walk. But Billy
was apparently not influenced by Polly's present attitude, being too
accustomed to her moods.

"May I walk along with you?" he inquired politely enough. "I was just
out for exercise, with no special place in mind where I wished to go,
and I should ever so much rather have you as a companion."

It was on the tip of Polly's tongue to exclaim, "But I would so much
rather not have you!" However, she suddenly recalled having promised
Mollie to be as polite to Billy as she could and not to bear malice any
longer. So she merely shook her head. "I am sorry, but I am in a
great hurry," she explained. "For you see I came out with a very
special place in mind to which I wish to go immediately."

Billy laughed, rather a big, splendid, open-hearted laugh. Polly was
amusing, in no matter what temper she might happen to be.

"But I won't interfere with your destination and I certainly can manage
to walk as fast as you can," he announced calmly, keeping close to the
girl's side, although her rapid walking had developed almost into a
run, and she was nearly out of breath.

[Illustration: "I won't interfere with your destination"]

Well, if she could not outwalk him and could not manage to get rid of
him in any other way, Polly decided that she would at least keep
perfectly silent until he had the sense to go away of his own accord.
It was still some distance before she could reach the cabin.

However, as Billy was doing a great deal of talking, he appeared not to
be aware of her unusual silence.

"Look here, Miss Polly, I have been thinking of something for a long
time--several months, in fact," he declared. "And I have about come to
the conclusion that maybe I was pretty domineering in the way in which
I behaved to you in New York. Of course I still consider that acting
business a dreadful thing for you to have done which might have brought
consequences that you could not imagine. But I ought to have tried to
persuade you to stop or to write your mother, and not to have bullied
you. I want you to believe, though, that it was because I like you so
much that I went all to pieces over the idea of anything happening to
you--your getting ill or somebody being rude to you. Great Scott! but
I am glad that you have given up that foolish idea of going upon the
stage and have settled down quietly in Woodford!"

Po