Produced by D Alexander and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net POLLY OF LADY GAY COTTAGE BY EMMA C. DOWD WITH ILLUSTRATIONS NEW YORK GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS Made in the United States of America COPYRIGHT, 1913, BY EMMA C. DOWD ALL RIGHTS RESERVED [Illustration: HAROLD WESTWOOD!] TO MY CRITIC, COUNSELOR AND COMRADE CONTENTS I. THE ROSEWOOD BOX 1 II. LEONORA'S WONDERFUL NEWS 12 III. A WHIFF OF SLANDER 20 IV. COUSINS 36 V. A MONOPOLIST AND A FANFARON 46 VI. "NOT FOR SALE" 66 VII. THE BLIZZARD 73 VIII. THE INTERMEDIATE BIRTHDAY PARTY 89 IX. THE EIGHTH ROSE 105 X. A VISIT FROM ERASTUS BEAN 119 XI. UNCLE MAURICE AT LADY GAY COTTAGE 125 XII. LITTLE CHRIS 138 XIII. ILGA BARRON 152 XIV. POLLY IN NEW YORK 165 XV. AN UNEXPECTED GUEST 175 XVI. ROSES AND THORNS 184 XVII. A SUMMER NIGHT MYSTERY 194 XVIII. AT MIDVALE SPRINGS 212 XIX. TWO LETTERS 237 XX. MRS. JOCELYN'S DINNER-PARTY 250 POLLY OF LADY GAY COTTAGE CHAPTER I THE ROSEWOOD BOX The telephone bell cut sharp into Polly's story. She was recounting one of the merry hours that Mrs. Jocelyn had given to her and Leonora, while Dr. Dudley and his wife were taking their wedding journey. Still dimpling with laughter, she ran across to the instrument; but as she turned back from the message her face was troubled. "Father says I am to come right over to the hospital," she told her mother. "Mr. Bean--you know, the one that married Aunt Jane--has got hurt, and he wants to see me. I hope he isn't going to die. He was real good to me that time I was there, as good as he dared to be." "I will go with you," Mrs. Dudley decided. And, locking the house, they went out into the early evening darkness. The physician was awaiting them in his office. "Is he badly hurt?" asked Polly anxiously. "What does he want to see me for?" "We are afraid of internal injury," was the grave answer. "He was on his way to you when the car struck him." "To me?" Polly exclaimed. "He was fetching a little box that belonged to your mother. Do you recollect it--a small rosewood box?" "Oh, yes!" she cried. "I'd forgotten all about it--there's a wreath of tiny pearl flowers on the cover!" The Doctor nodded. "Mr. Bean seems to attach great value to the box or its contents." "Oh, what is in it?"