"I"m sorry, but I imagine he is happy enough to be with his father."
"Yes! He looked like another boy after his father came. Well, we"ll have to do without him."
"How can Doodles and Blue be in? They live eighteen or twenty miles away."
"Oh, they can come down by trolley, or we can go up there," replied Polly easily.
Miss Sterling laughed. "You forget that we haven"t any money for trolley fares."
"I never thought! They"ll have to come here, then. Anyway, they"ve got to belong! Doodles is the sweetest boy! I used to wonder if he would change any when he was able to run and play--I didn"t know but he"d get to be--coa.r.s.er, you know; but he is just the same. Blue is nice, only he is more like other boys--Doodles isn"t!"
"Miss Lily has been telling me of how he Went to sing to her. She just idolizes him."
"I know she does. The other day when I was up to see her she couldn"t talk of anybody else. There isn"t much doubt but that she will join the club if she can see Doodles oftener."
"She seems to be fairly strong; her trouble is only with her eyes."
"I guess it will do her eyes good to go outdoors more. I wanted to call it the "Hiking Club"; but Chris was afraid the name would frighten some of them--they"d think a "hike" meant more than just a walk."
"Mrs. Post is quite lame yet, and Mrs. Grace is having rheumatism.
They couldn"t go at present. Miss Twining"s heart bothers her.
She said she shouldn"t dare attempt so long a walk again."
"As the one the other day? That wasn"t long for a well person."
"But most of us are not well--if we were we shouldn"t be here."
"I"ll ask them all, anyway!" Polly insisted. "Can"t we have our first meeting here in your room, Miss Nita?"
"Certainly. When is it to be?"
"I think to-day would be a good time--about two o"clock. It isn"t very pleasant out, raw and chilly. I"ll go round and invite them now. Will you come, too?"
"No, I"ll sit here and read. You run along and get your hikers, and then come back and tell me about it."
CHAPTER XVII
GRANDAUNT SUSIE AND MISS SNIFFEN
Polly aroused more enthusiasm among the ladies than Miss Sterling had thought possible. Almost everybody, even Mrs. Grace, with her rheumatic knee, was eager to join the new club.
It was agreed that those who were able should take a tramp together twice a week and should walk on the veranda, ten times its length, at least once a day.
Polly was unanimously elected president, Miss Major for corresponding secretary, and David Collins for treasurer.
"The club will be bankrupt from the start," laughed Miss Crilly.
"What do we need a treasurer for?"
"Oh, they always have one!" insisted Polly. "Maybe the money"ll come."
"Sure! Somebody might donate a million dollars to us--and what should we do without anybody to take care of it!" Miss Crilly chuckled happily.
The work of organization being disposed of, Mrs. Bonnyman asked what was to be done next.
Polly didn"t know.
"Oh, we must adjourn!" declared Miss Major. "That is the princ.i.p.al event of most business meetings."
Accordingly, with much giggling from a few of the members, the new club voted to adjourn until the next Monday.
"Oh, dear! it"s raining hard!" cried Polly. "I thought maybe we could go for a little walk, just to mark the day."
"Can"t we do something here--have some game or other?" suggested Miss Crilly.
"I say!" burst out David, "I forgot! Mother told me to be at home by half-past three, and it"s almost that now. Will you come, Leonora, or wait for the shower to be over?"
Leonora preferred a walk in the rain to one alone, so they hurried into their raincoats and were off.
"Our company"s dwindling," observed Miss Crilly, as the door shut upon Mrs. Post and Mrs. Crump, "but I don"t want to go home yet--need I, Miss Sterling?" "Certainly not! I want you all to stay. Polly, you are queen of ceremonies--what shall we do next?"
"We might try some of Grandaunt Susie"s exercises," twinkled Polly.
"Just the thing!"
"Who"s Grandaunt Susie, pray?" Miss Crilly was frankly curious.
"Mother"s grandaunt," explained Polly. "She was miserable, and these exercises made her strong enough to do almost anything. She is seventy-three,--or was when she was here, a year ago,--and father himself says she doesn"t look a minute over thirty-five!"
"Oh, my! Let"s try"em! I want to look "not a minute over thirty-five"!" Miss Crilly waved her hands excitedly.
"How do you begin--this way?" Miss Mullaly sprang to her feet, threw out her chest, and worked her arms up and down.
"Oh, no!" cried Polly. "That is not it at all! You take them lying down!"
"Mercy!" cried Miss Lily.
"I"d like that!" declared Mrs. Albright.
"Good and easy!" Miss Crilly nodded.
"Yes, they are every one to be practiced in bed, before you get up in the morning," resumed Polly.
"What if you don"t wake early enough?" asked Mrs. Prindle with a shrug.
"Then you"re late for breakfast or lose your chance of going back to thirty-five!" laughed Miss Crilly.