Tom moved away and said apologetically:
"These seats are so cramped for such a great fellow as I am!"

And Polly replied tartly: "Yes, they really ought to allow more room for
people's hands and arms."

Eleanor smiled wisely, and sent Tom a teasing look.

John Baxter did not come back to claim his seat that evening, and the
play ended without Polly having given him another thought. Poor Jack!

After Tom reached New York, there seemed very little time for Polly in
which to hunt up antiques in the country, or to attend sales that were
advertised at various places. Then Winter weather set in, and that gave
her the necessary excuse that the automobile could not travel in snow or
mud.

All but Tom and Polly thought that Tom's plot to win Polly from her
chosen profession seemed to be succeeding. But Tom felt that he had not
had much encouragement as yet; and Polly was having a very nice time with
an old friend she liked better than other young men, without feeling
unduly indebted for the pleasure.

Although the Latimers lived uptown in New York, they saw little of Tom
during the first weeks of his return to the City. He stopped at a hotel
not far from the Fabian's place, and made duty-calls on his father and
mother at regular intervals, but they understood what he came East for,
and they wished him all success.

Time passed quickly, with a new pastime planned by Tom, for each day. And
most of these pleasures included the other girls, as well as Polly. So
the enjoyment was general, and Polly could not say that Tom tried to get
her company for himself, by leaving her friends out of any fun.

December came in, and the Christmas season advanced, with Tom still
leading a gay life and escorting the girls to every pleasure or
entertainment they heard of; and Polly was still the kind little "sister"
to him in every way, but nothing more.

Tom had selected his Christmas gift for Polly, but no one had been told
about it. This he had kept absolutely secret. The Christmas Holidays came
and all schools closed, so that the girls had no studies to attend to,
and no art work to prepare. Jim Latimer and his chum Kenneth came home
from Yale for the two weeks' vacation, and they immediately called on
Polly and Eleanor.

Tom saw how gladly Polly welcomed Jim and Kenneth, and he began to wonder
if she really preferred a young boy's society to his. Polly and Jim were
about the same age--not quite eighteen, while he--Tom, was almost
twe