“Just a minute!  Somebody is knocking.”

She sighed.  She had a mind to run away—­she hated the telephone!

“Hallo!”

No answer.

“Princess, are you there?”

“Yes,” faintly.

“Sorry I had to keep you waiting.  Now I am all ears!”

“I wish you weren’t!”

“Never mind, then!  Let it go till I see you this afternoon.”

“Mercy! no!—­I said—­I—­oh, I’m not going to tell you!  You can guess it out for yourself.”

“Perhaps I can’t.”

“Never mind!  You won’t miss much.  Good-bye!”

“Wait a minute!  Juanita!”

“Yes.”

“I’ll be there about three, but I’d better call you up before I start.  I’m sorry you won’t tell me.”

“It doesn’t need to be told.  Anybody could guess!”

“I can’t see any clue.”

She laughed.  “I’m the clue!  Good-bye.”

CHAPTER XXXVI

POLLY DUDLEY TO CHRISTOPHER MORROW

Saturday Morning, Dear Chris,—­

I have such an avalanche of news, I don’t know where to begin.  First, I must thank you for your dear letter and the wild flowers.  They are lovely.  We were immensely interested in hearing about your school, it is all so different from ours.  What do you think father said, Chris Morrow!  He put the sheets carefully back in the envelope, and as he laid it on the table he exclaimed, “That boy is a born letter-writer!” It ought to make you very proud, but I know it won’t.  He never said that over a letter of mine!  But I am not jealous.  I do wish you were here.  I wish it every day.  But I’m glad you are so happy with your father, and that he has such a splendid position.  Now for my news!

I ought to be dusting my room this very minute!  My desk is so dusty—­it blew in last evening, I guess, when the window was open, the dust, I mean—­and it stares me in the face and makes me feel guilty.  I can’t do as Mrs. Albright does when her room is dusty and she doesn’t feel like dusting.  I went to see her one day, and she was sitting by the window, smiling as usual.  She said, “Don’t look around, dear, for I presume the dust is thick on everything.  I was too tired to dust after my walk, so I took off my glasses and have been having a really beautiful time in spite of the dust.”

  Later.

There!  I feel better.  Everything is bright as new!  Now I shan’t be in terror if the doorbell rings.

I wonder what I’d better take first.  I wrote you all about Miss Crilly and what a time Miss Nita had getting a doctor.  Miss Crilly is back at the Home now, perfectly well, and you can’t see her ten minutes before she will get in something about Miss Nita’s saving her life.  She did, too!  Father says that if she had waited till morning it would have been too late.  Poor Miss Sniffen!  I’m glad she didn’t