“Why, my dear, it is yours!”

“Oh, did you mean that?” Polly drew a long breath of delight.  “I shall love it forever—­and you, too!” Impulsively she put her arms round Miss Twining’s neck and kissed her on both cheeks.

“If I thought Mr. Parcell wouldn’t think it queer,”—­hesitated Miss Twining,—­“I have several copies, and I’d like to give him one; but I don’t know—­”

“Of course he wouldn’t think it queer!” asserted Polly.  “He’d be delighted!  He couldn’t help it—­such poetry as this is!  I’ll leave it at his house if you care to have me.”

“Oh, would you?  That is dear of you!  I Was wondering how I’d get it to him.  I’ll do it right up now.”

Miss Twining came back with the book, a little troubled scowl on her forehead.

“Oughtn’t I to write an inscription in it?  I don’t know what to say.”

“It would be nice,” Polly nodded.  “Of course you’ll say it all right.”

In a moment the poet was at her table, the book open before her.  She dipped her pen in the ink, then halted it, undecided.

“I wonder if this would be enough,—­’To Rev. Norman S. Parcell, from his parishioner, Alice Ely Twining’?”

“That sounds all right to me,” answered Polly deliberately.

“I can’t say ’loving parishioner’—­to a man,” laughed Miss Twining a bit nervously.

“It isn’t necessary,” chuckled Polly.

“If he came to see me oftener I’d love him more,” said the little woman wistfully.

“He’ll come often enough now—­you just wait!  He hasn’t anybody in his church that can write such poetry as this.”  She patted the little book caressingly.

“I hope he’ll like it,—­but I don’t know,” the author doubted.

“He will,” smiled Polly.

In a moment the package was ready.

“It is so good of you to do it!” Miss Twining looked very happy.

“I love to do such errands as this,” laughed Polly.  “I’ll be in to-morrow to tell you about it.”

CHAPTER XXIV

“Hope deferred”

“I didn’t see the minister,” Polly reported to Miss Twining.  “He and his wife were both away.  So I left the book with the maid and said that you sent it to Mr. Parcell—­that was right, wasn’t it?”

“Certainly, and I thank you ever so much.  I do hope he won’t think me presumptuous,” she added.

“Why, how could he—­such a beautiful book as yours?”

“I don’t know.  He might.  I lay awake last night thinking about it.”

“You shouldn’t have stayed awake a minute,” laughed Polly.  “I wouldn’t wonder if you’d hear from him this afternoon.  Then you’ll stop worrying.”

Miss Twining laughed a little, too.  “I’m glad I sent it anyway,” she said.  “It has given me something to think of and something to hope for.  The days are pretty monotonous here—­oh, it is so nice to have you come running in!  You don’t know how much good you do me!”