e story-teller turned listener, with
interest almost as great as Polly's own.

Floyd Westwood begged the physician to allow him one little glimpse of
his new-found cousin; but Dr. Dudley was firm, and the eager eyes
were not uncovered. Polly soon slipped away to share her joy with her
mother, leaving the Doctor and his patient to talk over present plans
and future possibilities.

CHAPTER X

A VISIT FROM ERASTUS BEAN

It was yet early the next evening, soon after Dr. Dudley had gone for
his usual round at the hospital, that Polly answered the doorbell to
return with Erastus Bean.

Delight laughed from the little man's weathered face.

"There 'tis, my dear! there 'tis!" he chuckled, carefully drawing a
folded paper from an inner pocket. He put it in Polly's hand with an
impressive bow. "I hope it will make yer a millionaire," he wished,
"yis, I do!"

Polly thanked him, fingering the letter in a somewhat awed way, but
not at all as if she were in a hurry to discover her chances towards
millionairedom. Meantime Mrs. Dudley was seating the little man in the
easiest chair.

Settling himself comfortably, with a profusion of acknowledgments, he
rubbed his lean hands together with a reminiscent smile.

"I took Jane ridin' in a autymobile this afternoon!" he announced.

"You did?" Polly burst out.

"Sure thing!" he beamed. "Jane she's been a-wishin' an' a-wishin' she
could go skylarkin' off like other folks, an' when that autymobile
driv' up this afternoon, you'd oughter seen her eyes! It was a stylish
one, I tell yer! An' we went bouncin' up an' down like the best of
'em! Jane she says it was full as good's a weddin' trip!"

He was silent a moment, smiling at the remembrance.

"I'm so glad you had such a nice ride," purred Polly.

"It was proper nice," he agreed. "Yer see," falling into a
confidential tone, "I couldn't make out no surer way to git hold o'
that letter. Jane she's kind o' cranky sometimes, but she's got her
good streaks, and you can coax her into 'most anything. Now when we
was whirlin' along there through Cat-hole Pass, on that slick road, I
just broached the subjec'. Couldn't 'a' picked out a better minute
nohow! She chimed right in, and said 'twas time yer had it, if yer was
ever goin' to--an' there it is!" He chuckled like a boy over his bit
of stratagem.

"Hadn't yer better look at it, my dear," he proposed, "just to make
certain it's all right?" Eager that his service should bring