of the rain. And without waiting for an answer he turned and shot
back into the house proclaiming in stentorian tones, "Ma, Polly's
come--an' she's got Phronsie--an' an awful big man--and they're out by
the gate!"

"Phronsie!" said Mrs. Pepper, springing to her feet, "why, I thought she
was up-stairs with Jane."

"Now, somebody," exclaimed old Mr. King, who sat by the library table
vainly trying to read a newspaper, which he now threw down in extreme
irritation as he rose quickly and went to the door to welcome the
wanderers, "somebody ought to watch that poor child, whose business
it is to know where she is! She's caught her death-cold, no doubt, no
doubt!"

Outside, in the rain, the children revolved around and around Polly and
Phronsie, hugging and kissing them, until nobody could do much more than
breathe, not seeming to notice the stranger, who stood quietly waiting
till such time as he could be heard.

At last, in a lull in the scramble, as they were dragging Polly and her
burden up the steps, each wild for the honor of escorting her into the
house, he cried out in laughing tones:

"Isn't anybody going to kiss me, I wonder!"

The two little Whitneys, who were eagerly clutching Polly's arms,
turned around; and Percy rubbed his eyes in a puzzled way, as Joel said,
stopping a minute to look up at the tall figure:

"We don't ever kiss strangers--mamsie's told us not to."

"For shame, Joey!" cried Polly, feeling her face grow dreadfully red in
the darkness, "the gentleman's been so kind to me!"

"You're right, my boy," said the stranger, laughing and bending down
to Joel's upturned, sturdy countenance, at the same instant that Mrs.
Pepper flung open the big door, and a bright, warm light fell straight
across his handsome face. And then--well, then Percy gave a violent
bound, and upsetting Joel as he did so, wriggled his way down the
steps--at the same time that Van, on Polly's other side, rushed up to
the gentleman:

"Papa--oh, papa!"

Polly, half way up the steps, turned around, and then, at the rush of
feeling that gathered at her heart, sat right down on the wet slippery
step.

"Why, Polly Pepper!" exclaimed Joel, not minding his own upset. "You're
right in all the slush--mother won't like it, I tell you!"

"Hush!" cried Polly, catching his arm, "he's come--oh, Joel--he's come!"

"Who?" cried Joel, staring around blindly, "who, Polly?" Polly had just
opened her lips to explain, when Mr. King's port