uld not let me come to meet you.
Where's Uncle Dick going? Oh, I see; he is looking after your baggage.
Don't you hate sleeping-cars, and didn't it seem funny to have no one
but Uncle Dick all these days?"

"No one but Uncle Dick; I like that," said that gentleman rejoining
them. "Are you going to have me called a nobody at the very outset,
Polly?"

"Oh, I didn't mean----" began Molly covered with confusion.

"Oh, yes you did; you said it when you thought my back was turned,"
interrupted her uncle.

Polly began to pound him with her fist. "Quit your nonsense, you great
big, long-legged, old tease," she said. "You know that wasn't what
Molly meant. You aren't a bit nice to her; you began to tease her the
very minute you set eyes on her. You'd better be pretty good to her or
I won't let you take me home again; so there, sir."

Uncle Dick gave her a playful shake. "You'll be homesick enough in a
week from now to go home by yourself," he warned her.

"She'll do no such thing," cried Molly, gathering courage from Polly's
example. "She'll just love it here, I know. Come along, Polly; we'll
get home first."

But, in spite of their trying to run ahead, Uncle Dick's long legs
overtook them, and with a hand, which they could not shake off, on the
shoulder of each, he rushed them along so fast that they were
breathless when they reached the front gate. Molly's mother was at the
door to greet them. She gathered travel-stained little Polly into her
arms. "Dear Polly, I am so glad we are to have you with us at last,"
she said. "Are you very tired, dearie? Was it a tiresome journey?"

"It was rather tiresome at the last," Polly acknowledged, "though at
first I liked it for there were some very kind ladies who came as far
as St. Louis, but the rest of the way I did get tired of sitting still
all day. I am dreadfully cindery and black, Aunt Betty, so I am afraid
you can't see at all what I look like. I did try to get off some of
the worst about an hour ago, but I suppose I am still very black, as
black as Manuel."

"Who is Manuel?" asked Molly.

"He's the blackest one of the Mexicans who work for father," Polly
replied.

"Take your cousin up-stairs and see to making her comfortable," Mrs.
Shelton told Molly. "Well, Dick, I believe you are actually taller
than when I last saw you. When are you going to stop growing?" she
said to her brother.

"When I come east to live," he returned. "Everything is big o