Juanita Sterling looked gravely at nothing.
"And such a boy as Doodles!" Polly went on. "To start with, he is younger than I am, and that ought to be enough to give David some sense! Mother says she didn't see me do anything out of the way—did you. Miss Sterling?"
"Why—why,—what was it you asked, Polly? I was thinking so hard,
I lost that last!"
Polly looked keenly at her friend's flushed face.
"I believe you do think I did something! What is it? Tell me right out! I shan't mind!"
"No, no, Polly! Forgive me, it wasn't anything about you and David—I happened to let another thought in just for a minute—that was all. No, I don't think you did anything that a sensible boy would mind in the least. Even if you were grown up and engaged to David, you did nothing that should have caused him any annoyance."
"Oh! that's more than mother gave me credit for!—Do you really know what you're saying anyway?" laughed Polly.
"Perfectly, Miss Dudley! And I declare to you this moment that you are a model of propriety!"
"O-o-h! Don't I look awfully puffed up? Now you'll think me silly! But I've talked long enough about David and me. I'm dying to tell you how glad, glad, glad I was last evening every time I looked your way! I almost forgot the birthday girl for thinking of you! Wasn't Mr. Randolph lovely? And didn't you have a dandy time? Why, he kept as close to you as if you 'd been engaged to him! He—"
"Oh, Polly, don't talk that silly stuff! I won't hear it!" Miss Sterling got up hurriedly and went to her work-table, apparently hunting for something in her spool basket.