“How do you do, my dear?” the visitor had asked, when Miss Pomeroy presented “little Mary Prentiss” to her. “I’m sure I have caught a glimpse of you now and then at church. I believe you don’t go to the Number Three school with my children, do you?”
“I am very well, thank you, ma’am,” said Polly, sedately, though her dimples showed. “Yes’m, I have seen you in church; the sun comes in the gallery window and dances on your bonnet sometimes, just as pretty. No, ma’am, I go to Number Four, where there are just five boys and nobody else but me. The teacher says it’s hardly worth while to keep a school for five sprawling boys that will be farmers when all’s said and done, and one little girl that’s nobody,” said Polly, quoting Mrs. Manser without a touch of injured feeling, “but we’re out of the other districts, the Higgins boys and I are, ma’am.”
Mrs. Talcott flushed, and drew the little girl to her side.
“I’ve brought you a present, Mary,” she said, putting a box into Polly’s hands. “My children always like a surprise, and I knew you wouldn’t be expecting this; it’s very pure candy,” said Mrs. Talcott, looking over Polly’s head to Miss Pomeroy for approval, “it cannot possibly hurt her.”
It seemed too good to be true, but there were dozens of the delicious chocolate drops in the box. Polly’s cheeks grew crimson as she saw them.
“Mrs. Deacon Talcott,” she said, lifting her shining eyes to this wonderful visitor. “I expect I don’t know how to thank you right, but I do wish I did! I’ve had so many presents now, you could hardly believe. It began before I left Manser Farm. I had new clothes, bought right out of the store, the gingham was, and nobody had ever worn it before. I wish I had one of those dresses on, to show you,” said Polly, who had been advised by Miss Pomeroy to keep on her red frock under a white apron for the afternoon.
“Never mind, my dear,” said Miss Pomeroy, exchanging a quick glance with her caller. “Mrs. Talcott may see it some other day.”
“Yes’m,” said Polly, “and then Uncle Sam Blodgett gave me a knife that will be an extra fine article if I should get the broken blade fixed, and some slippery elm, and Aunty Peebles gave me a dear little pincushion, and Miss Pomeroy bought me a bag of gum-drops and chocolates—but those are gone all but one, for Miss Arctura likes them; she has a sweet tooth, though she doesn’t often indulge it, she says—and then Miss Pomeroy bought me these beautiful shoes that I have on,” she finished, breathlessly, sticking out one small foot for inspection. “You see it’s been presents and presents,” said Polly, beaming upon Mrs. Talcott and then turning to Miss Hetty with a face aglow with gratitude.
“So it seems, my dear,” said the visitor, and when Polly mentioned her plan in regard to Aunty Peebles, Mrs. Talcott said cordially, “Why not send her part of these chocolates, Mary?”
“I hoped and hoped you’d say for me to do that,” said Polly, earnestly. “If you please, Miss Pomeroy, I would like to send them the middle of next week, for it always seems long then to Aunty Peebles from Sunday to Sunday. She values her privileges very much,” said Polly.