Dr. Dudley held out his arms, and the little girl ran into them.
"Glorious news, Thistledown! It is all settled! 'Aunt Jane' has no right to you whatever!"
"Oh!" she gasped, and went suddenly white.
The Doctor dropped into a chair, and took her in his lap, letting her lean against him.
"I'm glad you are going to school next week," he declared. "You will get out of doors more. I'm not going to have you paling up in this way every little while. You are in the house too much."
"I'm all right," she argued. "Tell me about it, please!"
"To begin with," he smiled, "these people are no relatives of yours."
Polly's eyes rounded with amazement.
"And Aunt Jane is n't my aunt at all?"
"Not the least mite of an aunt," he laughed. "It was a hard thing for her to admit; but she had to do it."