ple understand this, and everybody is more
influenced by it than they know, perhaps. Polly was not very wise, but
she felt that every one about her found something more attractive than
usual in her and modestly attributed Tom's devotion, Sydney's interest,
and Frank's undisguised admiration, to the new bonnet or, more likely,
to that delightful combination of cashmere, silk, and swan's-down,
which, like Charity's mantle, seemed to cover a multitude of sins in
other people's eyes and exalt the little music teacher to the rank of a
young lady.

Polly scoffed at this sort of thing sometimes, but to-night she accepted
it without a murmur rather enjoyed it in fact, let her bracelets shine
before the eyes of all men, and felt that it was good to seem comely in
their sight. She forgot one thing, however: that her own happy spirits
gave the crowning charm to a picture which every one liked to see a
blithe young girl enjoying herself with all her heart. The music and the
light, costume and company, excited Polly and made many things possible
which at most times she would never have thought of saying or doing. She
did not mean to flirt, but somehow "it flirted itself" and she could n't
help it, for, once started, it was hard to stop, with Tom goading
her on, and Sydney looking at her with that new interest in his eyes.
Polly's flirting was such a very mild imitation of the fashionable thing
that Trix & Co. would not have recognized it, but it did very well for a
beginner, and Polly understood that night wherein the fascination of it
lay, for she felt as if she had found a new gift all of a sudden, and
was learning how to use it, knowing that it was dangerous, yet finding
its chief charm in that very fact.

Tom did n't know what to make of her at first, though he thought the
change uncommonly becoming and finally decided that Polly had taken his
advice and was "setting her cap for Syd," as he gracefully expressed
it. Sydney, being a modest man, thought nothing of the kind, but simply
fancied that little Polly was growing up to be a very charming woman. He
had known her since her first visit and had always liked the child; this
winter he had been interested in the success of her plans and had done
what he could to help them, but he never thought of failing in love
with Polly till that night. Then he began to feel that he had not fully
appreciated his young friend; that she was such a bright and lovable
girl, it was a pity she shou