parted for a response, her eyes fell upon the watch
which the young man was still fingering.

"Oh, my!" she exclaimed, "I forgot all about school! Good-bye!" And
she flashed away.

At dinner she told where she had left her eighth rose.

"I am glad you happened in there," returned the Doctor. "He seems to
be a fine young fellow, a chemist, just out of college. He came up
from New York to see a friend, and while he was assisting with some
chemical work he was temporarily blinded by an explosion. He is coming
on all right; but for a few days I have noticed that he has seemed
rather gloomy. Go again! You will do him good."

Several times during the next week Polly obeyed her father's
injunction, and accepted Mr. Westwood's repeated invitations. With
every visit the two became better friends, and Polly waited almost as
eagerly as the patient himself for the day when his bandaged eyes
should be released. Only in Polly's heart there was not a little
regret mingled with her anticipated joy, for that would herald Mr.
Westwood's going away. Still she would not let the disturbing thought
detract from her present pleasure, and she ran in and out of the
young man's room in a happy, quite-at-home fashion.

She was starting for one of these little visits, when her mother
called to her.

"I wish you would go down to Besse and Drayton's, and get me a yard
more of this ribbon," she requested; "I find I haven't enough." She
held out a bit of blue satin.

"I'll be back with it in a jiffy--a ten-minute jiffy," laughed Polly.

Off she flew, tripping down the street and around the corner so
briskly that she nearly ran into a little man who was proceeding at a
quick, heedless pace.

"Why, Mr. Bean!" she cried.

"I declare, if 'tain't Polly! little Polly! How do you do, my dear?
How do you do?"

As soon as Mr. Bean learned that Polly was on her way down to the
department store, he turned about, and walked along by her side,
listening delightedly to her happy chatter.

"I'm proper sorry I hain't found that letter yit," he mourned. "Jane
she's been kind o' upset 'n' cranky lately, or I should 'a' asked her
about it before. I guess I shall speak about it to-night, yis, I
guess I shall," he assured Polly and himself.

"Oh, don't hurry to do it right away!" Polly responded
understandingly. "I can wait to know about my relatives. If Aunt Jane
isn't feeling--quite well, it wouldn't be a good time."

"No, 'twouldn't," he agreed in a