“I got tired of driving ’round the square waiting for you, mamma; so I thought I’d come in.”

“I’m glad you did; I wanted you to see—­”

“I know—­Polly!  Mamma ’s told me all about you, Polly, you and Jane and the valentine; and that’s Jane.  How do you do, Polly? how do you do, Jane?” nodding and laughing at them in a way that made Polly and Jane laugh too, whereupon this odd little girl exclaimed, “That’s right, laugh, do!  I like laughy folks;” and then, as she said this, her little figure swayed and would have fallen, if Jane, who was very quick of motion, hadn’t sprung forward and caught her in her arms.  The girl’s face was all puckered up into little wrinkles of pain; but as soon as she could speak, she said, “Aren’t you strong, though, Jane!”

Jane couldn’t say a word, but Polly piped out, “If I let you have my valentine to look at a little while, do you think you’d feel better?”

“Lots, Polly, lots.  Mamma told me about you; and when you come to stay with us, you’ll be a regular treat.”

“Stay with you?” cried Polly, wonderingly.

“Yes; what,” turning to her mother, “haven’t you asked her yet, mamma?”

“No; I’ve only talked with Mrs. Banks.”

“Well, I’ll talk to Polly.  Polly, we’ve been looking for a nice little girl like you to come and stay at our house.  I’m lame, and I can’t do much.  When mamma came home and told me about you and the bank and the paint-box and the valentine, I said, ’That’s the girl for me; let’s go and ask her to come.’  And won’t you come, Polly?”

“I—­I’d like to if—­if Jane can come too.”

“Don’t.  Polly.  I can’t—­I can’t!” whispered Jane.

“Oh, mamma, mamma!” cried the lame Elise, entreatingly.

“Mamma” turned to Mrs. Banks.  “If she would only come and help us,—­come and try us, at least,—­I’m sure we could make satisfactory arrangements.”

Mrs. Banks nodded, and smiled approval.  “Of course Jane can go if she chooses.”

“And you will choose,—­you will, won’t you, Jane?”

“Course she will,” cried Polly; and then everybody laughed, and everything was as good as settled from that moment.  Then it was that Polly burst out, “I should be puffickly happy now if I only knew jus’ who that mess’nger was that sent my valentine.”

“Tell her, mamma, tell her!” called out Elise; and “mamma” bent down, and said to Polly,—­

“It was somebody who saw what a loving heart a certain little girl had when she chose to give up her paint-box to buy her dear Jane a valentine.”

“’Twas you, ‘twas you!” cried Polly, joyfully.  “Oh, I jus’ love Valentine’s Day, and I knew it must be Somebody’s birfday,—­some very good Somebody!”

SIBYL’S SLIPPER.

CHAPTER I.

When Sir William Howe succeeded General Gage as governor and military commander of the New England province, he at once set to work to make himself and the King’s cause popular in a social way by giving a series of fine entertainments in the stately Province House.