een. In her way, Polly admired her
mother, loved her, and worked until she was almost dropping for Kate's
scant, infrequent words of praise.

So Polly had to be content in the kitchen. One day, having finished
her work two hours before dinnertime, she sauntered to the front gate.
How strange that Henry Peters should be at the end of the field joining
their land. When he waved, she waved back. When he climbed the fence
she opened the gate. They met halfway, under the bloomful shade of a
red haw. Henry wondered who two men he had seen leaving the Holt gate
were, and what they wanted, but he was too polite to ask. He merely
hoped they did not annoy her. Oh, no, they were only some men to see
Mother about some business, but it was most kind of him to let her know
he was looking out for her. She got so lonely; Mother never would let
her go to the field with her. Of course not! The field was no place
for such a pretty girl; there was enough work in the house for her.
His sister should not work in the field, if he had a sister, and Polly
should not work there, if she belonged to him; No-sir-ee! Polly looked
at Henry with shining, young girl eyes, and when he said she was
pretty, her blue-gray eyes softened, her cheeks pinked up, the sun put
light in her hair nature had failed to, and lo and behold, the marvel
was wrought--plain little Polly became a thing of beauty. She knew it
instantly, because she saw herself in Henry Peters' eyes. And Henry
was so amazed when this wonderful transformation took place in little
Polly, right there under the red haw tree, that his own eyes grew big
and tender, his cheeks flooded with red blood, his heart shook him, and
he drew to full height, and became possessed of an overwhelming desire
to dance before Polly, and sing to her. He grew so splendid, Polly
caught her breath, and then she smiled on him a very wondering smile,
over the great discovery; and Henry grew so bewildered he forgot either
to dance or sing as a preliminary. He merely, just merely, reached out
and gathered Polly in his arms, and held her against him, and stared
down at her wonderful beauty opening right out under his eyes.

"Little Beautiful!" said Henry Peters in a hushed, choking voice,
"Little Beautiful!"

Polly looked up at him. She was every bit as beautiful as he thought
her, while he was so beautiful to Polly that she gasped for breath.
How did he happen to look as he did, right under the red haw,