“We never had time to be lonesome. We all had to do our share in helping mother and father, and besides, there were so many of us, that I suppose we were company to each other.”
“But how did you go to school?”
“We rode horseback, or drove over. It was about six miles from our place.”
“How could you all ride?”
“We each have our own horse, or rather pony, as we call them out home. When I heard them say pony East here, I thought you meant a pony like our Indian ponies, and it seemed so comical to see just the little Shetlanders. I don’t know what we should do without them. Every summer in the slack season, father takes us for a long cross-country trip on horseback, and we camp out for a week or more.”
Polly leaned back from the table, her eyes shining with excitement as she listened.
“Grandfather dear, do you suppose there is any way at all by which we girls could go up there for our vacation?”
The Admiral laughed, and shook his head.
“I’m afraid not, matey. It would be too expensive a trip for five or six girls to undertake. Last year the way was made easy for you through the kindness of the Senator and Mrs. Yates. When you have all your traveling expenses clipped off your list of expenditures, it is a heavy item disposed of.”
“There are summer rates out West,” Miss Murray remarked, hopefully, seeing the look on Polly’s face. “And the board at home would be very, very little.”