“High Price!” Poly broke out.

“Yes, she felt awful about you bein’ lost—­my!  I guess we all did!  You don’t know!  I did n’t want to go to bed, and Miss Lucy let me sit up, hoping we’d hear something; but finally I had to, ‘cause there was a woman sick, and the Doctor had to stop huntin’ for you, and go and ’tend to her, and David went home, for there was n’t anybody any more to telephone to.  This morning Dr. Dudley he said he was going to find your Aunt Jane if she was in this city, and the next thing we knew David come rushin’ in, and sayin’ you was safe and sound—­the Doctor had telephoned to him.  My!  How glad we were!  I never wanted to dance so much in all my life!  Say, why did n’t you send word where you was?”

“I could n’t.”  And Polly related something of her unhappy stay in the house on Chestnut Street.

She had not finished when David called up to know if Polly and Leonora could be spared.  He was alone in the office, and wanted them.

The lad was eager for Polly’s story, and much of it had to be retold.  Then he disclosed news of his own.

“We’re going to move up to Uncle David’s the first of next week.  Won’t that be jolly?  You can come over any time; it is so near.”

Leonora beamed her pleasure.  Polly pushed back the tears.

David’s face shaded with sudden dismay.

“You have n’t got to go back to your Aunt Jane’s?” he demanded fiercely.

Polly’s head gave the answer.  At the moment speech seemed impossible.

“You shall not!” he burst out.  “If Dr. Dudley lets you go and live with those—­those heathen, I’ll never speak to him again as long as I live!”

“Why, David Collins!” Polly’s gentle voice was grieved and full of astonishment.

The pale, blue-eyed lad seemed to have vanished, and another to be standing there before her.  His eyes, grown suddenly dark, set in that flaming face, gave him a most unnatural look.

“I shall have to go—­Aunt Jane says I must,” she went on sadly.  “There’s no other way.”

“There would be another way, if I was a man!” he raged.  “Oh, oh!  I wish I were!  I wish I were!” he cried passionately; and throwing himself upon the couch, face downward, his shoulders shook with sobs.

Leonora bent her head on her arm, and wept silently.

Polly was endeavoring to soothe them both when Dr. Dudley came in.

Learning the cause of the tears, he remonstrated in his humorous way, until Leonora smiled again; but David scorned such comfort, refusing to move or to speak.  Finally the Doctor started to prepare the medicine he had come for, and the girls went upstairs, Polly renewing to return directly after the noon meal.

Chapter XIV

Polly’s “Anne Sisters”