Polly of the Hospital Staff | Page 4

with
downcast eyes and a throbbing heart.

"Oh, here you are!" exclaimed the physician. "I've been looking for you.
I thought you would like to take a ride up to Warringford. I shall be
back before your bedtime, and Miss Lucy says--why, Thistledown!
What is the matter?"
The revulsion had been to great, and, leaning against the Doctor's arm,
Polly was softly sobbing.
The physician sat down on the stairs, and drew the fair little head to his
shoulder. In a minute he knew it all,--the sudden fear that had assailed
her, the creeping flight across the ward, and the baffled attempt at
hiding. As he listened, his eyes grew grave and tender, for in the broken
little confession he comprehended the child's unspoken abhorrence of
the life she had left behind when she had come to the hospital five
months before.
"I would n't worry about going back to Aunt Jane's," he said brightly.
"You may be sure I shan't let her monopolize my little Polly. Now, run
along and get on your hat and coat, for the air is growing cool. We'll
have a nice spin up to Warringford, and you'll sleep all the better for
it."
Polly skipped away smiling, but presently was down in the office,
--without her wraps.
"The children feel so bad to have me go," she said soberly, "I guess I'd
better stay with them--seeing it's the last night." Her lip quivered.
"Selfish little pigs!" returned the Doctor. "They are n't willing anybody
else shall have a taste of you."
Polly laughed. "Well, they want me to tell them a story, so I'd better,
don't you think?"
"I suppose it's kinder to them than to go for a joy ride; but it's hard on
me."
Dr. Dudley assumed a scowl of disapproval.

The child hesitated. "You know I'd rather go with you," she said
sweetly; "but they--"
"I understand all about it, brave little woman," throwing an arm around
the slender shoulders, "and I won't make it any harder for you. Go and
tell your story, and let it be a merry one. Remember, that's the Doctor's
order! Good-night."
Polly threw him a kiss from the doorway, and then he heard her light
footfalls on the stairs.
It was one of his few leisure hours, and he sat for a long time looking
out on the quiet street, where his small motor car stood waiting. He had
no inclination for a spin to Warringford now; he was thinking too
deeply about the little girl who had held so large a share of his big heart
since the day when he had first seen her, lying so white and still, with
the life all but crushed out of her. It had not seemed possible then that
she would ever again dance around like the other children; yet her she
was, without even the bit of a limp--and going home to-morrow! Home!
He could imagine the kind of place it was, and he shook his head
gravely over the picture. Twice in the first months of Polly's stay at the
hospital her aunt had been to visit her; recently she had not appeared.
He recollected her well,--a tall, lean woman, with unshapely garments,
and a strident voice.
At eight o'clock Dr. Dudley cranked up his machine, and started away;
but he did not go in the direction of Warringford. He turned down one
of the narrow streets that led to Aunt Jane's home.
Meantime, up in the ward, Polly had been following the Doctor's
directions until the children had laughed themselves happy.
"I did n't let on that I saw you scoot under the bed when the Doctor
came," Elsie Meyer whispered to Polly, at the first chance. "Aimee saw
you, an' Brida saw you, an' Francesca saw you; but we did n't say
nothin' when Miss Lucy an' the Doctor was wonderin' where you could
be. What made you go that way?"

"Come, Polly, say good-night," called the nurse.
And with a soft, "I'll tell you sometime, Elsie," she obeyed.
The next morning Polly went about the little helpful tasks that she had,
one after another, taken upon herself, performing each with even more
than her usual care, feeling a strange ache in her heart at the thought of
its being the last time.
It was shortly after ten o'clock that Dr. Dudley appeared at the door.
"Polly!" he called.
She ran to him, but her answering smile was pathetic, for her lip
quivered, as she said, "I'll be ready in a minute."
"You are ready now," he returned, and taking her hand in his led her
out into the hall.
"I want you for a little while," was all he said, as they went downstairs
together.
Poly was a bit surprised when she found that their