But Phronsie was not to be diverted from her purpose.
"I'll get bay rum," she said. "May I?"
Dick made a wry face. "Worse and worse."
"Cologne, then."
"No, I hate it."
"He doesn't want it bathed, Phronsie dear," said Polly. "Boys like to get hurt, you know. 'Tisn't manly to be fixed up."
Phronsie gave a sigh, which so went to Dick's heart, that he said, "All right, bring on some water if you want to. But don't get any brown paper; I had enough of that when I was a boy."
And at the end of that exciting day, the secret came out, after all, in rather a tame fashion. Dr. Fisher and Jasper met Polly in an angle of the hall, as she was running upstairs after dinner for her schoolbooks.
"Polly," asked the little doctor, putting both hands on her shoulders, and looking into the brown eyes, "should you be willing to go abroad with your mother and Phronsie, Mr. King and Jasper?"
"Oh!" Polly gasped. "But you?" came in a later breath, "we couldn't leave you," she cried loyally.