As the cold days came they missed Polly, but scarcely ever
mentioned her. They had more books and read and studied together,
while every few evenings Adam picked up his hat and disappeared, but
soon he and Milly came in together. Then they all read, popped corn,
made taffy, knitted, often Kate was called away by some sewing or
upstairs work she wanted to do, so that the youngsters had plenty of
time alone to revel in the wonder of life's greatest secret.

To Kate's ears came the word that Polly would be a mother in the
spring, that the Peters family were delighted and anxious for the child
to be a girl, as they found six males sufficient for one family. Polly
was looking well, feeling fine, was a famous little worker, and seldom
sat on a chair because some member of the Peters family usually held
her.

"I should think she would get sick of all that mushing," said Adam when
he repeated these things.

"She's not like us," said Kate. "She'll take all she can get, and call
for more. She's a long time coming; but I'm glad she's well and happy."

"Buncombe!" said Adam. "She isn't so very well. She's white as putty,
and there are great big, dark hollows under her eyes, and she's always
panting for breath like she had been running. Nearly every time I pass
there I see her out scrubbing the porches, or feeding the chickens, or
washing windows, or something. You bet Mrs. Peters has got a fine
hired girl now, and she's smiling all over about it."

"She really has something to smile about," said Kate.

To Polly's ears went the word that Adam and her mother were having a
fine time together, always together; and that they had Milly York up
three times a week to spend the evening; and that Milly said that it
passed her to see why Polly ran away from Mrs. Holt. She was the
grandest woman alive, and if she had any running to do in her
neighbourhood, she would run TO her, and not FROM her. Whereupon Polly
closed her lips firmly and looked black, but not before she had said:
"Well, if Mother had done just one night a week of that entertaining
for Henry and me, we wouldn't have run from her, either."

Polly said nothing until April, then Kate answered the telephone one
day and a few seconds later was ringing for Adam as if she would pull
down the bell. He came running and soon was on his way to Peters' with
the single buggy, with instructions to drive slowly and carefully and
on no account to let Polly slip getting out.