"No," she admitted slowly; "but I can't imagine why she's in such a hurry. I wonder if she is to stay at the hospital longer than she expected--that isn't it, is it?" Dr. Dudley shook his head. "My advice is to make haste with your toilet and run over to the hospital and find out." "Yes," Polly agreed, "I will." Yet she stood still, her forehead puckered over the possible good things that could have happened to her friend. Dr. Dudley turned away, and then halted. "Isn't your mother waiting for you?" he suggested. "Oh, I forgot!" she cried, and flew back to where Mrs. Dudley sat, brush and comb in hand. "How my hair grows!" commented Polly, after discussing the news awaiting her, and silently concluding that whatever her mother knew she did not intend to disclose. "It will be a year next week since it was cut. I shall have mermaid tresses before I know it. Isn't it nice that I was hurt? Because if I hadn't been I should never have known you and father. Did you expect to marry him when he took you to ride on Elsie's birthday?" "Of course not!" laughed Mrs. Dudley. "You were a roguish little match-maker!" "I never thought of that," returned Polly. "I only wanted you to have a good time." "I had it," her mother smiled, tying a ribbon to hold the bright curls. "There!" with a final pluck at the bow; "now run along and hear Leonora's glad story! I am afraid she will be getting impatient." As Polly skipped up to the hospital entrance, the door flew open, and Leonora, smiling rapturously, ran to meet her. "What is it?" entreated Polly. "I can't wait another minute!" "Seem's if I couldn't, too! I thought you'd never come! What do you think, Polly May Dudley! I'm goin' to live with Mrs. Jocelyn!--all the time!--forever! She's adopted me!" Polly stared, and then let out her astonishment in a big "O-h!" This was, indeed, something unguessable. "Isn't that lovely!" she cried in delight. "I'm so glad!--just as glad as I can be!" "Of course you are! Everybody is," Leonora responded blissfully. They went in doors arm in arm, stopping in Dr. Dudley's office, their tongues more than keeping pace with their steps. "I shouldn't think your father and mother would want to give you up," observed practical Polly. "I guess they're glad," Leonora replied. "Prob'ly I wouldn't go if they were my own; but I don't belong to them." "You don't?" "Why, no. My mother died when I was three years old. I can only just remember her. In a little while father married again, and pretty soon he died--he was awful good to me! I cried when they said he wasn't goin' to get well. Then my stepmother married Mr. Dinnan. So, you see, I ain't any relation really, and they're prob'ly glad not to have me to feed any more. And I guess I'm glad--my! But I can't b'lieve it yet! Say, I'm goin' to your school, and Mrs. Jocelyn is comin' to take me out in her carriage this forenoon to buy me some new clothes!" Polly's radiant face was enough to keep Leonora's tongue lively.