"If he came to see me oftener I'd love him more," said the little
woman wistfully.

"He'll come often enough now--you just wait! He hasn't anybody in
his church that can write such poetry as this." She patted the
little book caressingly.

"I hope he'll like it,--but I don't know," the author doubted.

"He will," smiled Polly.

In a moment the package was ready.

"It is so good of you to do it!" Miss Twining looked very happy.

"I love to do such errands as this," laughed Polly. "I'll be in
to-morrow to tell you about it."

CHAPTER XXIV

"HOPE DEFERRED"

"I didn't see the minister," Polly reported to Miss Twining. "He
and his wife were both away. So I left the book with the maid and
said that you sent it to Mr. Parcell--that was right, wasn't it?"

"Certainly, and I thank you ever so much. I do hope he won't think
me presumptuous," she added.

"Why, how could he--such a beautiful book as yours?"

"I don't know. He might. I lay awake last night thinking about
it."

"You shouldn't have stayed awake a minute," laughed Polly. "I
wouldn't wonder if you'd hear from him this afternoon. Then you'll
stop worrying."

Miss Twining laughed a little, too. "I'm glad I sent it anyway,"
she said. "It has given me something to think of and something to
hope for. The days are pretty monotonous here--oh, it is so nice
to have you come running in! You don't know how much good you do
me!"

"Do I? I guess it's because I'm such a chatterbox! There! I
haven't told you what father and mother said about your book!
Father took it and read and read and read. Finally he looked up
and asked, 'Did you say a lady at the Home wrote these?' Then he
brought his head down, as he does when he is pleased, and
exclaimed, 'They ought to be proud of her!'--just what I said, you
know!"

"I am so glad he likes them!" Miss Twining's delicate face grew
pink with pleasure.

"Oh, he does! He kept reading--it seemed as if he couldn't lay it
down--till somebody called him. And when he got up he said, 'This
is poetry--I should like to see the woman who can write like that.
She must be worth knowing.'"

"Oh, Polly!" Miss Twining's eyes overflowed with happy tears.
"That is the best compliment I ever had in my life--and from such a
man as your father!"

"Mother fairly raves over the poems," went on Polly. "She says she
is coming over here next visiting day to get acquainted with you."

"I hope she will come," smi