ys," Polly replied, "but they seldom have
good cooking. She is changing help all the time."

"We have trusted her implicitly," the president mused. "Her father
was a man of undoubted honor."

"I don't see that it would be much worse to steal from the Home
than to take Miss Twining's money or Miss Nita's cards or--"

"Cards? From Miss Sterling?" broke in Nelson Randolph quickly.

"Didn't you put your cards in those boxes of roses you sent her?"
asked Polly.

"Certainly."

"She never saw any! Miss Castlevaine was going upstairs and
happened to see that first box of roses on the hall desk. Miss
Sniffen was fingering a card. When Miss Nita received the box
there was no card there. That was why she was so long in saying
'thank you,'--she didn't know where they came from. We finally
found out through the boy who brought them."

Nelson Randolph frowned. "A pretty state of affairs!" he muttered.

"And she never got one of your telephone messages!" Polly went on.

"What!" the man exclaimed.

"She didn't!" Polly reiterated.

"But Miss Sterling gave me no hint of such a thing!"

"No." Polly returned sadly. "I guess she didn't dare."

"Surely she was not afraid of me!"

"I don't know," replied Polly dissatisfiedly and with emphasis.
"It really seems sometimes as if she were."

"There must have been some tremendous lying," he mused. "They gave
me messages purporting to come from Miss Sterling. Why should she
be singled out in this way?" He looked across at Polly, as if he
expected her to answer the question.

The red in her cheeks grew redder. She remembered the reason David
had given.

"I think it is no uncommon thing for the ladies not to get their
telephone messages," she replied evasively. "That was one reason
why Mrs. Dick ran away with the milkman. She was so upset at not
receiving an invitation to a wedding that had been sent her by
telephone."

"It is high time that something was done!" The president lifted his
little elephant and brought it down hard. "We have been
inexcusably blind!"

"I wish Miss Twining could have some good doctor," ventured Polly.

"She shall!" he promised. "Be patient for a few days, and I will
hurry up things as fast as practicable. You say she is a little
better?"

"Mrs. Albright thinks so. She is over her scare a little. Dr.
Gunnip frightened her half to death! He won't let her try to get
up. Don't you hate Dr. Gunnip?"

Mr. Randolph smiled. "I