“Gee! isn’t this ’way up!” cried Blue, turning to see the wide circle of mountains with which they were surrounded.
“It’s good and cool,” broke out Miss Crilly. “Oo-oo, but it was hot down in some of those places!”
“We always get a breeze,” said Polly. “Come right up on the veranda and take off your things.”
“Do let me look around a minute! How beautiful it is! I don’t wonder you called it the ‘Top of the World.’” Juanita Randolph gazed admiringly on every side. “It is wonderful!” she said softly. “And how well you are looking!”—throwing an arm round Polly’s slim waist.
“The Butterfly Lady,” as she was called by some of the children, greeted the small patients with smiles and handshakes and cheery words. They were very fond of her, and the name given her by Clementina Cunio, on the occasion of her wearing an exquisite dress of black-and-gold, fitted her well this morning as she passed joyously from one to another. It is not surprising that their faces were bright with pleasure as she made her happy way among the wheel-chairs and told her small friends how glad she was to see them again.
Benedicta always appeared to be in her chosen sphere when guests beloved of Polly were at the house. Now, as soon as she knew of the party’s arrival, she promptly began planning what rarely delicious dishes she could concoct.
“Which do you think they’d rather have,” she asked,—“stuffed beefsteak, or brown London chop, or chicken fried in cream?”
Polly advised chicken, and the dinner, with its array of vegetables, salads, breads, and pies, was enjoyed by the visitors with appreciative words and voted by the family to be the cap of Benedicta’s records.
Dr. Abbe and David Collins came in just as the meal was served, and David’s appearance on Overlook Mountain was astonishing to at least one of the guests. Knowing how matters had stood between the two when Polly left home, Mrs. Randolph’s mind was given more to a study of the possible situation than to the chicken over which Benedicta had reddened her face with patient unconcern.
It was not until hours afterwards, when Polly had Nita and Miss Crilly upstairs in her own room, that the girl approached the question which had been in her heart ever since they had come.