Yes, she had had a charming ride, she told them, and they felt it must be so, since they had never seen her in a gayer mood.
"Run up to my room if you can slip away," she whispered to Polly.
"I shall be there changing my gown."
After Miss Lucy had gone, the attention of the rest was attracted by a horseback party on the street, and Polly darted away as she had been bidden.
"Dear child!" said Miss Lucy, taking the little face in both her hands. "You have given me a great pleasure."
"It was n"t I," laughed Polly. "It was Dr. Dudley. Are n"t you glad now that you went?"
"Yes," she smiled. "Because if I had n"t, Elsie might not have had this birthday present. Come, see what Doctor and I bought for her."
She opened a small package, disclosing a tiny box. In the box was a little gold signet ring with and Old English "E" engraved upon it.
"Oh," admired Polly, "is n"t that lovelicious! I"m so glad for Elsie!"
"Yes," Miss Lucy went on, "I think she will like it. We wanted to give her something that she would keep to remember the day by, and we could n"t think of anything better. She has a poor little home, though her mother works hard and does all she can to make the children happy. But Elsie can"t have had many bright things in her life, so we"re going to try to make her birthday as pleasant as possible."
"I should think this would please anybody, it is so beautiful!"
and Polly laid it gently back in its little case.
Presently she was downstairs again, happy in the knowledge of sharing a secret with Miss Lucy and Dr. Dudley.
After dinner she read to the children from her new book of fairy tales, and the Miss Lucy taught them some new games that they could all play--even those who were still in bed.
They were just finishing one of these, when the strains of an old song suddenly sounded near by.
"Oh, a hand-organ!" somebody shouted, and they flocked to the windows.
"And he"s got a monkey!" squealed Brida.
"Oh, that"s "count o" my birthday!" cried the happy Elsie. "I do wish he"d come up here!"
Her words floated down to the organ grinder, and at once he allowed the monkey more length of cord. The little animal began to climb the wisteria vine, and presently was doffing his tiny red cap to the children, who shrieked with delight.
"Here"s a penny for him, Elsie," said Dr. Dudley, who had come up behind them unnoticed.
The little birthday girl joyfully took the bright coin, and dropped it into the monkey"s outstretched paw, receiving from him a characteristic "thank you," which caused more glee.
Again and again the little gay-coated messenger made trips up and down the wisteria, transferring the pennies from the children"s hands to his master"s pocket, until the yellow coins finally gave out, and the Doctor was obliged to say, "No more!"
Even then the man smilingly played on, and when at last he and the monkey bade their patrons good-bye, Elsie thought that no little girl ever had so "splendid" a birthday as she was having.
The party tea was served precisely at half-past five o"clock, and such a tea! Little biscuits scarcely bigger than silver dollars, small tarts filled with fig marmalade, great berries that the children agreed were super-bondonjical, tiny nut cookies, a frosted cake decorated with nine pink candles, chocolate in pretty cups, and--to top off the feast--ice cream in the shape of chickens!
Miss Lucy and Polly and Dr. Dudley served those little people who could not be at the table, and n.o.body--not even the birthday girl herself--enjoyed it all better than did Polly May.
Polly was eagerly antic.i.p.ating the time when Elsie should be presented with the signet ring, and followed Miss Lucy"s movements with watchful eyes. At last the nurse left the ward, and disappeared in the direction of her own room. The moment must be close at hand!
Dr. Dudley told funny stories, and Polly laughed with the rest; but her eyes were on the doorway, and her heart in a flutter of excitement. The moments piled up, and Miss Lucy did not come back. Polly grew anxious. Even Dr. Dudley looked at his watch, and glanced towards the door.
When, after a good quarter of an hour, the nurse returned, Polly knew that something was wrong. Dr. Dudley knew it, too; and soon he and Miss Lucy were talking together in low tones beyond the reach of Polly"s ears. Had something befallen the ring? What could be the matter? The children gleefully discussing the Doctor"s last story; but Polly"s thoughts were at the other end of the room. When Miss Lucy and Dr. Dudley came back to them, however, both faces were so bright, Polly decided that she must have been mistaken, and looked for the ring to appear. But it was not so much as mentioned. The Doctor bade Elsie and the others good-bye, and Miss Lucy accompanied him into the hall.
After a while the suspense became unbearable, and Polly started for Miss Lucy"s room. It was around the corner, on another corridor, and as Polly reached the turn she heard voices.
Involuntarily she halted.
"It"s the strangest thing," Miss Lucy was saying. "I remember laying it on the dresser after showing it to you, and then I was called away, and I can"t recollect putting it in the box. I know I locked the door when I went out--I don"t understand it!"
"And you say n.o.body but Polly has been in the room since?"
The voice belonged to Miss Curtis, one of Miss Lucy"s closest friends.
"Unless it was entered with a skeleton key."
"Well, there"s only one solution to the musterd, it seems to me," Miss Curtis replied.
"I won"t, I won"t believe it!" Miss Lucy burst out. "Polly is honesty itself. She would n"t do such a thing any more than-- you or I would. If it were some children--but Polly!"
"You might question her anyway; ask her if she noticed the ring when she came in after those napkins."
"I--can"t! She"d see through it at once. Polly is bright. It would break her heart to know we had such a thought. I believe it got knocked off the dresser some way and will be found sooner or later; but I wanted to give it to Elsie to-day. I"m all upset about it!"
"Well, I can"t help thinking--"
Polly, weak and wretched, shrank away, and went softly back through the long corridor. At the door of the ward she met Dr.
Dudley.
"I was looking for you," he said. "Don"t you want to take that ride you missed this morning? I have a call to go down to Linwood, and it is just cool enough now to be pleasant. Better put on your coat; your dress is thin."
"Could n"t you--take Elsie?" faltered Polly faintly.
"Elsie? Well, Thistledown, I feel hurt! Twice in one day! Have you sworn off from auto riding?"
Usually this would have brought out a happy laugh, but now Polly merely answered, "No," very soberly.
"I should n"t dare to risk a ride for Elsie until her hip is better," the Doctor resumed. "I"ll try to taker her some day, when she is a little further along. Now, run and get you hat.
I"ll wait for you."
Polly never quite forgot that ride. The fresh, twilight air, fragrant with dewy blossoms; the exhilarating motion; the Doctor"s merry speeches;--these would have been sufficient at any other time to fill her with joy. Now she was but half conscious of them all; the dreadful ache in her heart over-powered everything else.
She wondered if Dr. Dudley felt as Miss Lucy did. Or did he, with Miss Curtis, suspect her to be--a thief! She longed to cry out, "Oh, I did n"t! I did n"t! I did n"!" But, instead, she silently stared out on the dusky road, and wished herself at home, in her own little bed where she could let the tears come, and not have to push them back.
She was glad, in a vague kind of way, when the auto slowed up at the hospital entrance, and the Doctor lifted her out. They walked up the flagging, hand in hand, the physician as silent as she.
She would have gone directly upstairs, but he drew her into his office.
"Now, what is it, Thistledown?" he asked gently, taking her in his arms.
She hid her face on his shoulder, and began to sob.