lly turned a pair of astonished blue eyes upon her companion, who
happened at the moment to be gazing up toward the sky where the snow
clouds were growing heavier.

"You are very kind to be interested in my welfare, I am sure," she
replied, trying her best not to let sarcastic tones creep into her
voice. "And of course I realized that your friendship for Mollie and
mother made you feel that you had the right to express your opinion
very frankly to me. But you are mistaken if you believe that I have
given up my foolish notion of going upon the stage. Of course I
appreciate now that I was wrong in betraying mother's trust and in
trying that experiment in acting without her consent. So I have
accepted my punishment and made my bargain. But just the same, when I
am twenty-one, I mean to try again with all my strength and power and
to keep on trying until I ultimately succeed."

Billy Webster closed his lips with a look of peculiar obstinacy.

"Three years is a long time," he answered, "and you might as well know
that though I am fond of Mollie and always will be, it is you I really
care about. Oh yes, I realize that there are hours when I almost hate
you, but that is because you dislike me and because I can't get you to
do what I wish. Still, you might as well understand that I intend
doing everything in my power for the next three years to make you stay
in Woodford when the time is up and to make you stay because you love
me."

And then before Polly was able to get her breath or to stamp her foot
or in any possible way to relieve her feelings, the young man had
marched away through an opening at one side of the path, without even
stopping once to glance back at her.

It was out of the question then for Polly to decide whether she was the
more angry, astonished or amused. Of course it was absurd for Billy
Webster to conceive of having any emotion for her except one of
disapproval. He was simply so obstinate and so sure of himself that he
wanted to make her like him, because he knew that she almost hated him.
And if it had not been for Mollie, she would have suffered no "almost"
in her dislike.

Really the confusion and protest that the young man's words had
awakened in her mind, coming on top of the disclosure about Betty, made
Polly feel as if she had suddenly taken leave of her senses. And as it
is a rather good scheme when one is unable to think clearly, to give up
thinking at all for the time being, the