Polly and the Princess | Page 6

think of it--that you
can't curl your hair even to go to a wedding! I wonder if father or
mother could do anything."
"Oh, no!" cried Miss Sterling, in sudden terror. "Don't, I beg of you, let
them say a word to Miss Sniffen! She'd turn me right out!"
"I should wish she would, if I were you."
"Where could I go? I'd have to sit on the sidewalk!"
Polly laughed.
"No, Miss Nita," catching one of the slim white hands and pressing it
against her cheek, "you come right over to our house when Miss
Sniffen turns you outdoors, and we'll take care of you!"
"It isn't anything to laugh at," sobbed the little woman.
"I know, I'm wicked to laugh; but I had a picture of you sitting on the
curb in your nightgown, and I couldn't help it!"
Then Miss Sterling laughed too.

Shortly she fell to crying again. "I did want to look nice at Cousin
Jennie's wedding, as nice as I could, and I do think it is downright
mean!" She hammered out the last words with desperate force.
Polly stood by her side, distressed into silence.
"You don't know that she'll let you go anyway, do you?" she asked
presently.
"Yes, she said I could, and then I asked her if I might curl my hair. She
snapped out a disagreeable 'no,' and I turned and came upstairs."
Polly was doing some hard thinking.
"Queer, Jennie should marry at her age," Miss Sterling resumed after a
brief pause, wiping her eyes dry. "She is forty-one, only two years
younger than I."
"Are you forty-three? Nobody'd ever guess it." Polly gazed at her
critically. "I wonder if I couldn't curl your hair at the last minute, and
smuggle you downstairs, all wrapped up, so Miss Sniffen wouldn't
know. You could wet it out the next morning."
Miss Sterling shook her head with a wee smile. "I would if I dared, but
I don't. If Miss Sniffen weren't there to see, Mrs. Nobbs would be, and
nothing escapes her eyes. No, 't would be too much risk."
"Maybe it would," Polly admitted, and then paused to listen. "It's three
o'clock and I must go. I halfway promised David and Leonora I'd come
down there this afternoon. I guess they're a little bit jealous of you. It's
handy to run over here, and they're so far away. I should think you'd get
tired of me, I come so much."
"Tired of you!" echoed Miss Sterling. "You are the only bit of
cheerfulness I have to look forward to. Last night I couldn't sleep; I was
just upset after seeing Miss Sniffen, and my head felt wretched. But I
kept saying to myself, 'Polly will be here in the morning!' and that
helped me through the night. You don't know--you never will

know!--what a comfort you are!" She pulled Polly down and gave her a
little squeeze.
"And then I didn't come this morning after all!" cried Polly in sudden
contrition. "That was mean! But I had some things to do for mother,
and Chris wanted me to help him with his stamps, and so I didn't get to
it. I'm sorry."
"Dear child! I don't expect you to spend all your time with an old
gray-haired woman who hasn't the mite of a claim on you."
"Gray-haired!" chuckled Polly. "You can't find one gray hair. I dare
you to try!" She shook a threatening finger.
"Don't have to try. I know just where there are two--right in there." She
bent her head.
"Oh, they're only a little pale!" laughed Polly. "They aren't really gray.
But I must go, Miss Nita. Good-bye."
"If you come across the Board anywhere downstairs, you may give it
my compliments."
"Does the Board meet this afternoon?" whispered Polly. "It wouldn't be
compliments I'd give them!" She waved her hand, and the door shut.
Yes, the Board was in session, the Board of Managers of the June
Holiday Home. A little hum of voices came to Polly's ears from a room
at the left. "I wish--" She stopped midway between the staircase and the
front entrance, her forehead wrinkled in thought.
A maid came from the rear of the house, duster in hand.
"Oh, Mabel!" Polly began in a low tone, "would you mind taking a
message to the Board for me?"
The girl, with a shade of surprise on her face, said, "Certainly, Miss
Polly, I'll take it in. Who shall I give it to?"

"Mrs. Beers--she's president. Tell her, please, that I have something
very important to say to the Board, and ask her if I can come in now, or
pretty soon--whenever it won't interfere with their business."
The maid knocked and disappeared. In a moment she returned.
"She says you can come