an't be!' But she looked as if she'd sink when she said
it."

"And what was it about Colonel Gresham?" Polly asked. "You said
--"

"Yes," Leonora hurried on, "I'm comin' to it! We never any of
us thought of your Aunt Jane, till Colonel Gresham he said had n't
you gone to see her. Dr. Dudley told him of course you wouln n't,
when you' started for Mrs. Jocelyn's, and the Colonel he said he
should try her anyway. So Dr. Dudley jumped right into his auto
and raced off to where you aunt used to live. When she was n't
there, and the folks did n't know where she'd gone, and her name
was n't in the directory at any new place, he did n't know _what_
to do!"

"She's married Mr. Bean," Poly put in, "so she'd Mrs. Bean
now."

"Oh, maybe that's why he could n't find her! Well, he come home,
and he and Miss Lucy talked and talked, and High Price she talked,
too, and--"

"High Price!" Poly broke out.

"Yes, she felt awful about you bein' lost--my! I guess we all
did! You don't know! I did n't want to go to bed, and Miss Lucy
let me sit up, hoping we'd hear something; but finally I had to,
'cause there was a woman sick, and the Doctor had to stop huntin'
for you, and go and 'tend to her, and David went home, for there
was n't anybody any more to telephone to. This morning Dr.
Dudley he said he was going to find your Aunt Jane if she was in
this city, and the next thing we knew David come rushin' in, and
sayin' you was safe and sound--the Doctor had telephoned to
him. My! How glad we were! I never wanted to dance so much in
all my life! Say, why did n't you send word where you was?"

"I could n't." And Polly related something of her unhappy stay
in the house on Chestnut Street.

She had not finished when David called up to know if Polly and
Leonora could be spared. He was alone in the office, and wanted
them.

The lad was eager for Polly's story, and much of it had to be
retold. Then he disclosed news of his own.

"We're going to move up to Uncle David's the first of next week.
Won't that be jolly? You can come over any time; it is so near."

Leonora beamed her pleasure. Polly pushed back the tears.

David's face shaded with sudden dismay.

"You have n't got to go back to your Aunt Jane's?" he demanded
fiercely.

Polly's head gave the answer. At the moment speech seemed
impossible.

"You shall not!" he burst out. "If Dr. Dudley lets you go and
live with those--those heathen, I'll never speak t