Princess Pollys Gay Winter | Page 7

up the letter, and made her way down to the lower hall. The
door stood wide open, only the screen door was fastened.
The maid, a few moments before, had opened the door that the fresh air
might pass through the hall. Sprite slipped out into the garden, her letter
in her hand.
She ran a short distance, then as the sunlight touched the glowing
blossoms, she paused and looked about her.
Oh, what a fairy world it was! Her home at the shore had been placed
on a broad stretch of sand, and only a few of the residences at
Cliffmore boasted a flower, or tree on its grounds.
Now, with the garden gay with geraniums, tall gladioli, dahlias, and
scarlet salvia, she looked in amazement and delight at the riot of color.
"Oh, how beautiful it is here!" she said.
Suddenly she remembered her precious letter.
She ran across the street, and slipped it in the box.
"There you go, and you'll tell the two dearest people in the world that I
got here safely, and that everyone was dear to me. You'll tell them that
I love them too."
Her heart was lighter, because now she knew that the letter that the dear
ones at home were looking for, would soon be on its way.

She hurried back to the garden, where she sat for a long time watching
the bees as they hovered over the flowers.
She would not go back to her room for fear of waking Polly, and she
knew that she should not wander about the vacant lower rooms, so she
decided to wait in the garden, until Princess Polly should come down.
She clasped her hands about her knee, and sat lost in a day dream. Her
long rippling hair fell over her shoulders, and she made a lovely picture
as she sat thinking of her home at the shore.
"The cliffs are white in the bright sunlight by this time," she said, softly,
lest someone might hear her, "and the big gulls are flying over the
water, or dropping to float on the crest of the waves.
"It is beautiful at home, and grand here at Avondale.
"I wonder if anyone knows if one is really finer than the other. They're
so different."
Then again she sat dreaming. Sir Mortimer came around the corner of
the house, and went straight to Sprite for the caress everyone offered
him. He listened to her sweet voice as she told him what a fine cat he
was, he arched his back, and purred his loudest.
After a time he lay down on the grass beside her, taking his morning
sunbath.
Princess Polly, in the meantime, had awakened and missed Sprite. She
dressed hastily.
As she passed the window a soft voice talking to Sir Mortimer made
her pause and look out. She leaned from the window.
"Oh, there you are!" she cried. "I missed you, and I couldn't guess
where you were. I'll come right down to the garden." She flew down
the stairs, and out into the sunlight.
Sprite ran to meet her, and with their arms about each other, they paced

up and down the broad piazza.
Sir Mortimer blinked at them as he sat in the sunlight, as if he approved
of their merry chatter. Possibly he thought it fine that there were to be
two little girls at Sherwood Hall to pet him.
"The garden is so lovely," Sprite said, as they paused to look out across
the lawn.
"Come!" cried Polly. "I'll show you all the prettiest places."
The big cat followed them, trotting along the gravel walk, pausing
whenever they did, as if all that Polly was showing was new to him.
And when they had admired the rippling brook that ran through the
garden, the tall white lilies standing in queenly grace beside the stone
wall, the terraces crowned with rose bushes, and the gorgeous beds of
geraniums, they ran back to the piazza, and seated themselves in the
hammock that swung in the breeze.
"Do you remember any of the pretty songs you used to sing last
Summer when we were out on the beach, or sitting on the ledge?" Polly
asked.
"There's one I always like to sing when I'm in a dory," Sprite said.
"Then let's rock this hammock, and play it's a dory, and while we're
swinging, you sing," Polly said.
With a voice in which a thrill of happiness made wondrous music, little
Sprite sang:
"Bright is the sky above us, Blue is the sea below. Seagulls are
hovering 'round us Fluttering to and fro.
Faith is the sky above us, The sea is the earth below. Gulls are the
friends who love us, Following where'er we go.
Sunshine above, around us, White caps