ed at her sister-in-law with an amused smile. "If you think you
will need a chaperone when such an old friend calls. Tom always seems
more like a brother than a young man who might turn out to be a beau,
some day."

Polly pondered this sentence for a time, then said: "Well, there's no
telling what he may think after that ducking, you know, so it will be
more comfortable to have you about."

Tom fully expected a warm welcome from Polly, and perhaps, another flash
of something akin to love that he thought he had detected in her deep
blue eyes, when he met her in the hospital. So he was more than chagrined
to find Polly smile friendily upon him as she took his hand in the same
manner that she would have taken Mr. Dalken's.

"I just thought I would bring in a little glow with me, Polly," remarked
Tom, when he recovered self-possession again. "A few roses, such as I
know you like."

He handed a long box to Polly and watched eagerly as she cut the string
and opened the lid of the box.

"Oh, Tom! American Beauties again! How lovely!" and she buried her face
in the fragrant red petals that filled the one end of the box.

Anne held out her hand for the box when Polly went to place it on a
chair. "I'll hand them to mother, Polly, for her to arrange in a jar. The
others that came yesterday, can be placed in another glass."

"Oh, did Polly receive other roses?" asked Tom, trying to appear
unconcerned, but flushing as he spoke.

"Why, didn't you send them to me? There was no card in the box, but you
always send American Beauties, Tom," exclaimed Polly, in surprise.

Tom laughed sheepishly. "Well, I did send them, Polly, but I thought I
would make you guess who it could have been. I never dreamed you would
give me credit for the roses."

"Why shouldn't I? It would have seemed queer if you hadn't sent flowers,
when everyone within a thousand miles, sent boxes and bouquets to me, all
yesterday and all day today."

"They did! What for?" asked Tom, wonderingly.

"What for? Why, goodness me! Don't you suppose my friends were _glad_
that I wasn't drowned," retorted Polly, in amazement. "Everyone that ever
knew me, sent love and flowers, so I never thought it strange that you
sent me some, too."

This was a hard slap for Tom, and he winced under the words which denoted
that Polly considered him only as one of many friends. Even the roses
presented that night, with a little heart-shaped card tied in the center
of the group of