“Could we get out and pick just a few o’ those flowers?” Elsie ventured; and presently they were all over the stone wall, Leonora with the rest, right down among the goldenrod and asters.

The went home with their arms full of beauty, too overjoyed even to guess that they had been away nearly two whole hours, and that it was dinner time.

Leonora was first to discover it—­the beautiful copy of the Sistine Madonna, hanging opposite David’s bed.  Then dinner had to wait, while they flocked over to look at Dr. Dudley’s gift to the ward.

“Why, it’s just like a story,” cried Elsie.  “Something keeps happening all the time.”

Miss Lucy smiled mysteriously, which made Polly wonder if there were more happenings in reserve for the day.

Dinner was barely cleared away when a rap sent Moses to the door.  There stood one of the porters grinning behind a pyramid of white boxes tied with gay ribbons.

Moses was too astonished for anything but speechlessly to let the man pass him.  The pile was deposited beside the nurse, and Elsie squealed out:—­

“They look ’xac’ly like Christmas!”

“Perhaps the inside will look like Christmas, too,” smiled Miss Lucy.  “Let’s see what this card says:—­’For the young folds of the Convalescent Ward, in honor of the Ward’s fifth birthday.  From Mrs Juliet P. Jocelyn.’

“This box is addressed to Miss Polly May;” and she handed out the one on top.

Polly received it with an “Oh, thank you!” A sudden tumultuous hope had sprung in her heart, and she gazed down at the oblong box with a mingled anticipation and fear.  What could it be but—!  Yet what if it should n’t be!  With trembling fingers she hurriedly untied the blue ribbon.  She hardly dared lift the cover; but—­it was!

“Oh, Phebe!” she cried, with almost a sob, clasping the beautiful doll to her heart.

It was not Phebe, but so nearly like the cherished one it was not surprising in that first ecstatic moment Polly should think it was really her los darling.  Golden curls, blue eyes, and a frock of white muslin with blue sprigs made the resemblance very true.  In her own bliss, Polly for a minute, forgot her surroundings.  Then she became suddenly aware that Elsie was dancing about, shrieking with delight, holding a doll the counterpart of Polly’s own, except for the color of dress and eyes.

Brida’s doll had blue eyes, alike the new Phebe, and Leonora’s brown, like Elsie’s.

Miss Lucy could not untie the boxes fast enough now, the children were so wildly excited.  Every girl had a beautiful doll, and every boy a gift that made him shout in glee or wrapped him in speechless joy, according to his nature.

“How did she know I’d ruther have ’em than anything in th’ biggest store you ever saw?” cried Cornelius, with a yell of rapture, throwing off the cover of his box to see a ball, a bat, and a catcher’s mitt.  “How did she did she know it?”