n't stand high,
papa'd have a conniption."

"I'm going to study better next week," decided Polly, "so I'll be a
thornless rose, like you."

"Dear me, I have thorns enough!" Patricia laughed. "Mamma says I'm
selfish and careless and, oh, I don't know what! So, you see, they
scratch her. What's your thorn, David?"

"Jealousy," he replied promptly.

Patricia looked surprised.

"Who are you jealous of?" she queried curiously.

"Nobody just this minute." He threw a furtive glance in Polly's
direction, over the rose he was nipping again; but she was occupied
with the tendrils of a vine that were wandering from their support.

"I wish we had some Lady Gay roses to cover our old bare piazza," he
broke out abruptly. "Yours are fine." He looked admiringly towards the
little cottage next door, now beautiful in its bloom and greenery.

"Hasn't anybody bought your house yet, has there?" asked Patricia.

"No," Polly answered, "not that we've heard of. Father says the price
is too high."

"Lucky for you," remarked David. "And lucky for us, too," he laughed.
"I don't know but Uncle David would want to sell out if you folks
should leave."

"Why don't you have some roses?" questioned Polly, coming back to the
flowers. She gazed up at the stately columns, free of living
adornment, and decided the matter quickly.

"They'd make it lovely!" she beamed. "Silver Moons would be splendid
all over these pillars, and Lady Gays on the side piazza. Mrs. Jocelyn
has an elegant Silver Moon, roses as big as that,"--curving her
fingers into as wide a circle as they could compass,--"just single
white, with great yellow anthers--oh, they're beautiful! I wish your
uncle would get some. Why don't you ask him, David?"

"You may," he evaded.

"I believe you don't dare," Polly cried. "David Collins, are you
afraid of him yet? Why, I don't see how you can be, he is so nice."

The lad laughed. "I suppose I can't quite get over those years I stood
in such awe of him," he confessed. "But," he added, "he's fine; nobody
could be finer."

"Polly was telling me the other day," put in Patricia, "about the time
she and Colonel Gresham chased after Dr. Dudley for you. I wish I
could have seen Lone Star go."

"There! I haven't had a glimpse of Lone Star for a week!" Polly broke
out. "Is he in the stable, David? Let's go and see him!"

Away they raced, to visit the famous trotter, and to feed him with
bread and butter and sugar which David begged fr