"Oh, yes, laugh!" pouted Polly. "Of course, you don"t care, because you don"t like him as I do; but I think it is mean for him to be engaged--just when I was so glad he wasn"t! You haven"t told me who it is yet--anybody I know?"
"Yes."
"Somebody here in town, then?"
"Yes, right here."
"I don"t see who it can be. I never saw him riding with anybody but Blanche Puddicombe. Why don"t you tell me?" cried Polly impatiently.
"I said she was right here." The little woman in gray sat very still. Her eyes were following the pattern of the rug. Her cheeks grew red and redder.
"Why, I don"t see--" began Polly. Then she started forward. "Oh, Miss Nita! you don"t mean--"
Juanita Sterling met the bright eyes, and nodded smilingly.
"Oh, Miss Nita! Miss Nita!"--Polly squeezed her friend"s arm in ecstasy--"I can"t believe it! It"s too lovely for anything! I want to hop right over the moon! How did he say it, Miss Nita? Do tell me how he said it! I"ve always wanted to know how they said it, and mother won"t tell me, and father won"t, and unless you do I never shall know!"
"You--with a lover like David!" laughed the other.
"Oh, well, David"s only a boy! Please--there"s his car! It"s turning round!" She started and her eyes fell upon the clock.
"Just after midnight! I didn"t notice its striking. Good-morning, Miss Nita! How funny it will seem to say Mrs. Randolph!"
"Polly!" the other expostulated.
Polly laughed and flung her arms round Miss Sterling"s neck.
"Remember! I"m not going to let you off! You must tell me how he said it!"
"Charmingly, Polly, charmingly!"
"No, that won"t do!--There"s the bell!" And the crimson-robed little figure fled.
Juanita Sterling had wondered what she would say when they met the next time. How different this was from her dream!
Nelson Randolph took her hand in a warm clasp. "I am glad you let me come," he said.
Briefly she explained the situation.
"Better call Dr. Temple."
"I thought of him, but I didn"t like to take any more responsibility."
"Where is the telephone?"
She led the way and made a light.
"Yes, it"s Randolph," she heard him say. "I am at Dr. Dudley"s.
He is out of town. A woman at the Home is very sick. Can you come up? Yes, I will wait here and go over with you."
He settled himself in a big rocker, and regarded her smilingly.
"So the Princess had a race with the Dragon! That is more than I antic.i.p.ated. Was she frightened?"
Miss Sterling blushed. "Not much--a little," she admitted.
"Once--for a long minute--I was afraid the "Dragon" was going to catch me!"
"But she didn"t! I am proud of you!" He grasped the hand that rested on the arm of her chair.
She pulled away and ran across the room. "I"m going to sit here!"
she announced, smiling to him. To hold her hand that way--when at any moment Mrs. Dudley might appear!
He surveyed her with amus.e.m.e.nt. "Was that an unforgivable sin?" he twinkled.
"M--no," demurely. "The Doctor may come."
"He won"t come in at the window," he laughed. "Don"t you think you are a little unkind, when I have been so far away all day and haven"t had a glimpse of you since last night?"
"You can see me just as well over here. There have been other days when you have not seen me." A mischievous light gleamed in her eyes.
"It wasn"t my fault," he smiled. "I tried pretty hard to see you!"
She went back, blushing like a school-girl.
"Thank you! I"ll be good! I can"t realize that you are coming to make my lonely home such a place of delight!"
She could not look up to meet the eyes that she knew were dwelling upon her.
"I want to take you over there to-morrow," he went on. "There are a few changes I propose making, and you may like to suggest some on your own account. You can have it any way you please."
She glanced up now, her cheeks still aflame, her face flooded with joy.
"I shall like to go," she said; "but I think I"ll leave the changes to you. The outside looks beautiful to me just as it is. The wide lawn on the south side, with the background of evergreens, is magnificent!"
"I am glad you like that. I never tire of it. So you don"t want me to trim the trees up--as some folks advise?"
"O-h!" she gasped. "The effect would be ruined!"
He smiled. "I might have done it to please you, but I think I"d have argued a little first."
"I should have argued more than a little if you had suggested it,"
she laughed.
"I am going to build out a big veranda from the dining-room, put in windows for the winter, and then give them over to screens through the summer."
He paused to listen. "Dr. Temple, I presume," as a car whizzed up and stopped. He went to the door, while Miss Sterling threw on her coat.
Mrs. Dudley joined them, and the four proceeded to the Home.
The superintendent opened the door to them, smiling a little when she saw Nelson Randolph.