Polly, and
Willie had been sent to fetch her. Polly offered to help Mandy with the
decorations, but Willie won the day, and she was running away hand in
hand with him when Douglas came out of the house.

"Wait a minute!" he called. "My, how fine you look!" He turned Polly
about and surveyed the new gown admiringly.

"He did see it! He did see it!" cried Polly, gleefully.

"Of course I did. I always notice everything, don't I, Mandy?"

"You suah am improvin' since Miss Polly come," Mandy grunted.

"Come, Willie!" called the girl, and ran out laughing through the trees.

"What's this?" Douglas took the small book from Mandy's awkward fingers,
and began to read: "'Hens set--'" He frowned.

"Oh, dem's jes' Miss Polly's 'don'ts,'" interrupted Mandy, disgustedly.

"Her 'don'ts'?"

"She done been set--sit--settin' up nights tryin' to learn what you done
tole her," stuttered Mandy.

"Dear little Polly," he murmured, then closed the book and put it into
his pocket.

Chapter IX

DOUGLAS was turning toward the house when the Widow Willoughby came
through the wicker gate to the left of the parsonage, carrying bunting
for the social. She was followed by Miss Perkins with a bucket of
pickles, which Mandy promptly placed on top of Mrs. Elverson's ice
cream. The women explained that they had come to put the finishing
touches to the decorations. If anything was needed to increase Mandy's
dislike of the widow, it was this announcement.

Mrs. Willoughby was greatly worried because her children had not been
home since the afternoon school session. Upon learning that they were
with Polly, she plainly showed her displeasure; and Douglas dispatched
Mandy for them. She saw that her implied distrust of Polly had annoyed
him, and she was about to apologise, when two of the deacons arrived on
the scene, also carrying baskets and parcels for the social.

Strong led the way. He always led the way and always told Elverson what
to think. They had been talking excitedly as they neared the parsonage,
for Strong disapproved of the recent changes which the pastor had made
in the church service. He and Douglas had clashed more than once since
the baseball argument, and the deacon had realised more and more that
he had met a will quite as strong as his own. His failure to bend the
parson to his way of thinking was making him irritable, and taking his
mind from his business.

"Can you beat that!" he would exclaim as he turned away fro