"Poor Ilga!" burst out Polly, and hid her face in her hands amid a torrent of tears. "It is all my fault!" she moaned. "It is all my fault! If I hadn't asked her, she wouldn't have got hurt!" Father and mother tried to soothe her; but her sensitive heart shouldered the entire blame of Ilga's accident, and it required much reasoning before she was able to look at the matter in a true light. Further reports confirmed the first rumors about the unfortunate girl. It was extremely doubtful, the physicians thought, if she ever walked again. Dr. Dudley and his wife kept the sad tidings as much as possible from Polly; but she was obliged to hear talk of it at school, and often she would come home at noon only to spoil her dinner with tears. One evening Polly was, as usual, perched on the arm of her father's chair, when he surprised her with some news. "I had the pleasure of making Miss Ilga's acquaintance to-day." Polly's eyes widened incredulously. "She is at the hospital," he continued, "and has passed through a successful operation. It is too soon to be quite positive, but everything looks favorable to-night." "Is she going to be able to walk?" "We hope so." Polly dropped her head on her father's shoulder, and sighed a deep sigh of joy. "How perfectly beautiful! And to think you have done it!" She caught her breath. The Doctor rested his cheek lightly on the sunny curls, saying nothing. They were still sitting in silence when Mrs. Dudley came in. Polly and her father understood each other without words. The Senator's daughter carried out the hopes of the doctors to the highest degree, and there came a day when Polly, at Ilga's own request, was sent for. Miss Hortensia Price was the sick girl's nurse, and Polly had learned with surprise that a strong friendship was growing between them. Nevertheless she was unprepared for any manifestation of it, and her joy in seeing their evident love for each other made the first moments of her visit less conscious than they otherwise might have been, for she had been wondering if her schoolmate attached any blame to her for the injuries received in the accident.