To Polly’s ears went the word that Adam and
her mother were having a fine time together, always
together; and that they had Milly York up three times
a week to spend the evening; and that Milly said that
it passed her to see why Polly ran away from Mrs. Holt.
She was the grandest woman alive, and if she had any
running to do in her neighbourhood, she would run
to her, and not from her. Whereupon
Polly closed her lips firmly and looked black, but
not before she had said: “Well, if Mother
had done just one night a week of that entertaining
for Henry and me, we wouldn’t have run from
her, either.”
Polly said nothing until April, then Kate answered
the telephone one day and a few seconds later was
ringing for Adam as if she would pull down the bell.
He came running and soon was on his way to Peters’
with the single buggy, with instructions to drive
slowly and carefully and on no account to let Polly
slip getting out. The Peters family had all
gone to bury an aunt in the neighbourhood, leaving
Polly alone for the day; and Polly at once called
up her mother, and said she was dying to see her, and
if she couldn’t come home for the day, she would
die soon, and be glad of it. Kate knew the visit
should not have been made at that time and in that
way; but she knew that Polly was under a dangerous
nervous strain; she herself would not go to Peters’
in Mrs. Peters’ absence; she did not know what
else to do. As she waited for Polly she thought
of many things she would say; when she saw her, she
took her in her arms and almost carried her into the
house, and she said nothing at all, save how glad she
was to see her, and she did nothing at all, except
to try with all her might to comfort and please her,
for to Kate, Polly did not seem like a strong, healthy
girl approaching maternity. She appeared like
a very sick woman, who sorely needed attention, while
a few questions made her so sure of it that she at
once called Robert. He gave both of them all
the comfort he could, but what he told Nancy Ellen
was: “Polly has had no attention whatever.
She wants me, and I’ll have to go; but it’s
a case I’d like to side-step. I’ll
do all I can, but the time is short.”
“Oh, Lord!” said Nancy Ellen. “Is
it one more for Kate?”
“Yes,” said Robert, “I am very much
afraid it’s ’one more for Kate.’”
ONE MORE FOR KATE
Polly and Kate had a long day together, while
Adam was about the house much of the time. Both
of them said and did everything they could think of
to cheer and comfort Polly, whose spirits seemed most
variable. One minute she would be laughing and
planning for the summer gaily, the next she would
be gloomy and depressed, and declaring she never would
live through the birth of her baby. If she had
appeared well, this would not have worried Kate; but
she looked even sicker than she seemed to feel.
She was thin while her hands were hot and tremulous.
As the afternoon went on and time to go came nearer,
she grew more and more despondent, until Kate proposed
watching when the Peters family came home, calling
them up, and telling them that Polly was there, would
remain all night, and that Henry should come down.
