“My dear child, it isn’t that the idea is not brilliant, but it seems to me it would be—­would be—­just a little out of place!”

“It wouldn’t be—­a single bit!” insisted Polly.  “Isn’t he the president of the Home?”

“Yes; but he isn’t in this, and wouldn’t it look as if we were ignoring Miss Sniffen?”

“Maybe it would,” assented Polly submissively.  “I hadn’t thought of that.”

“You have said nothing to Miss Lily about it?”

“Oh, no!” Polly replied.  “We’ve only talked it over at home and with the Greshams.”

“I suppose I’ll have to parley with the Powers,” smiled Miss Sterling ruefully.

“I don’t want to!” Polly frowned.  She thought a moment, tapping her teeth with her thumb.  “Oh, I know!” she burst out joyously.  “You can’t object to this!  Colonel Gresham’s the one to do it—­because he’s going, too.  He’ll drive his big car.  I thought it wouldn’t do to have father, for she’d think I got him to do it.  But Colonel Gresham would win anybody if he tried.”

Miss Sterling nodded approvingly.

“Aren’t you glad I thought of it?”

“It looks the best thing.”

“It is!  Guess I’ll go and ask the folks now!  Will you come?”

“No, thank you!  Run on alone—­you’ll do it best without any assistance.”

Polly laughed happily.  She was too excited to insist on even Miss
Nita’s company.

It was a good hour before she returned, having been rapturously welcomed upstairs and down and kept as long as possible.

“Everybody is delighted with the idea!” Polly dropped to the hassock at Miss Sterling’s knee.  “They’re all going—­if they can!—­except Mrs. Post and Mrs. Prindle.  Mrs. Post has had a pull-back and she can’t walk at all, and Mrs. Prindle’s cold is worse.  I think the rest will just fill the cars.”

She counted up, and found seats and occupants to agree.

“I’m wondering whether to have Mrs. Adlerfeld or Miss Lily sit with Colonel Gresham—­which would you?” Polly was all alight with her planning.

“The Colonel would enjoy Mrs. Adlerfeld best.  Miss Lily would be too shy to say anything.”

“So she would!  I only thought of her because she’s the birthday girl.  Oh!  You can’t imagine how surprised she was—­I thought she’d better know it right away, and not try to be secret about it.”

Miss Sterling smiled assent.

“She looked as if she were going to cry,” Polly went on; “but then I said something funny, and she laughed.  I could see she was wonderfully pleased that Doodles should propose it.  I’m glad he did, for I guess she doesn’t have very much to make her happy.

“Oh, I forgot!  What do you think Mrs. Adlerfeld calls it?  I happened to say we thought it was so nice it came when the moon was full, and she said, ’Thank you, I shall be so glad and happy to go!  I am very fond about moonshine nights!’ Isn’t that just lovely?  I’m going to call it a ‘moonshine’ party!  It is ever so much prettier than ‘moonlight.’  Won’t Colonel Gresham be pleased to have Mrs. Adlerfeld sit with him!”