sun was too hot and the wind was too cool, her stone
seat was too hard, and the ground was too rough to dance on!
Everything was too something! She wasn't contented till she got
her 'Nelson' out of reach of Miss Nita. I guess men have to run
more risk than girls do."

"Uncle David wouldn't agree with you," smiled David. "Aunt Juliet
tells a story about him--long before he was married. A girl--I
think it was a trained nurse, anyhow somebody he knew pretty
well--asked him what he thought of her marrying. He waited a
moment, and then said, in his deliberate way, 'Well, I don't know
more than three or four decent men anyway, and you wouldn't be
likely forget any of them!' She had to tell of that, and Aunt
Juliet heard it. Uncle David looks solemn at first, when she
begins it--then he chuckles."

"That sounds just like Colonel Gresham," laughed Mrs. Dudley.

"He's such a nice man!" praised Polly with emphasis. "And so is
Mr. Randolph, just as lovable!--I wouldn't mind marrying him
myself."

"You wouldn't!" flashed David.

"No," maintained Polly; "but I shan't have a chance," she chuckled.

Her mother heard the Doctor calling and went to him.

"You ought to go in there and hear those children 'talking about
marriage," she whispered; "it is better than a circus!"

The Doctor looked through to where they sat, and smiled.

Meantime the talk in the living-room had taken a personal turn.

"I suppose you'd marry any of the fellows." David was grumbling.

"I should prefer to choose," laughed Polly. "Oh, David! it is
funny to hear you go off!"

She dimpled over it.

"'Funny'!" he scorned. "That Wilmerding dude will be walking down
to school with you, same as last year! Carrying your books, too!"
David frowned. "And you'll let him!"

"He might as well be of use. It's lots easier than to carry them
myself."

"Wish your father'd send you down in the car."

"He thinks it better for me to walk," she smiled.

"You'll talk and laugh," David fretted on, "till he'll think you're
dead in love with him! You jolly with all the boys more than you
do with me!"

Polly's face sobered. "David," she said, "in some things you are
wonderfully wise; but you don't seem to know very much about girls.
I am not always the happiest when I'm laughing. You talk as if
you'd like to keep me in prison, same as Miss Sniffen keeps those
poor dears over there. I know better, but it sounds that way."

"Forgive me! I'm getting