E-text prepared by Roger Frank and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 25778-h.htm or 25778-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/5/7/7/25778/25778-h/25778-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/5/7/7/25778/25778-h.zip) POLLY'S BUSINESS VENTURE by LILLIAN ELIZABETH ROY Author of Polly of Pebbly Pit, Polly and Eleanor, Polly in New York, Polly and Her Friends Abroad Illustrated by H. S. Barbour [Illustration: THE TWO CARS COLLIDED. Polly's Business Venture. Frontispiece--(Page 99)] New York Grosset & Dunlap Publishers Made in the United States of America Copyright, 1922, by Grosset & Dunlap CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I POLLY RETURNS TO AMERICA 1 II A DISAPPOINTING EVENING 18 III THE ACCIDENT 34 IV A REUNION AND A VISITOR 47 V THE RAID ON CHOKO'S FIND MINE 58 VI POLLY AND ELEANOR BEGIN COLLECTING 74 VII A REVOLUTIONARY RELIC HUNT 94 VIII ANOTHER ATTEMPT AT COLLECTING 109 IX POLLY'S HUNT IN 'JERSEY 127 X UNEXPECTED NEWS FROM PEBBLY PIT 151 XI POLLY'S FIRST CONTRACT 167 XII THE PARSIPPANY VENDUE 182 XIII TOM MEANS BUSINESS 199 XIV NECESSARY EXPLANATIONS 213 XV MUTUAL CONSOLATION 231 XVI BEAUX OR BUSINESS 250 XVII BUSINESS 269 POLLY'S BUSINESS VENTURE CHAPTER I POLLY RETURNS TO AMERICA Five girls were promenading the deck of one of our great Atlantic liners, on the last day of the trip. The report had gone out that they might expect to reach quarantine before five o'clock, but it would be too late to dock that night, therefore the captain had planned an evening's entertainment for all on board. "Miss Brewster! Miss Polly Brewster! Polly Brewster!" came a call from one of the young boys of the crew who was acting as messenger for the wireless operator. "Polly, he is calling you! I wonder what it is?" cried Eleanor Maynard, Polly's dearest friend. "Here, boy! I am Polly Brewster," called Polly, waving her hand to call his attention to herself. "Miss Polly Brewster?" asked the uniformed attendant politely, lifting his cap. "Yes." He handed her an envelope such as the wireless messages are delivered in, and bowed to take his leave of the group of girls. Polly gazed at the outside of the envelope but did not open it. Her friends laughed and Nancy Fabian, the oldest girl of the five, said teasingly: