Part 21 (1/2)

”I believe I'll go up to Patricia's,” she said to herself. ”Mother won't expect me back for an hour or two, and Patricia wanted me to see her new dresses. It'll be a good time.”

Thus thinking, she took the street that led to The Trowbridge, and was presently admiring Patricia's pretty frocks. Time pa.s.sed quickly, and it was nearly ten o'clock when she finally started for home.

As she rounded the corner below Lady Gay Cottage, she saw her father's automobile in front, and then the Doctor himself coming down the walk on a run.

”Oh, maybe I can go with him!” she thought, and sprang ahead.

”Father! father!” she called.

Dr. Dudley turned, and came swiftly towards her. He caught her in his arms,--”Polly!” his voice breaking as she had never heard it before.

”You aren't hurt at all?” Incredulity was in his tone.

”Hurt? Why, no! How should I be?”

He left her, leaping up the steps, and throwing wide the door. She heard him call:--

”Lucy! she is here!--safe!”

Polly hurried after, to be clasped tightly in her mother's arms with excited expressions of thankfulness.

”What is it?” she pleaded. ”I don't see what it all means!”

”We heard that the ponies ran away,” the Doctor explained, ”and that one of you was hurt--badly. Somebody thought it was not Leonora, and, of course--”

”Oh, Ilga!” broke in Polly. And she told of how the exchange had been made.

Dr. Dudley hastened away, to learn the truth of the matter, while Polly and her mother tried to settle into something like calmness.

By chance callers and over the wire came s.n.a.t.c.hes of facts concerning the accident. n.o.body seemed to know what had startled the ponies, but Leonora had pluckily held to the reins until a hill was reached, thereby averting injury to herself. Ilga, becoming frightened, had jumped from the carriage, with serious results. It had occurred while Philip had gone into a shop for some purchase, leaving his own horse and the little team at the curb. When he came out the ponies were das.h.i.+ng across the railway tracks ahead of a coming train, and he was obliged to wait behind the gates until the small carriage was out of sight.

It was not until the Doctor returned that the nature of Ilga's injuries were known.

”Dr. Palmer and Dr. Houston are attending her,” the physician said. ”I have heard nothing direct from them, but it is rumored that the girl's back is broken.”

”Poor Ilga!” burst out Polly, and hid her face in her hands amid a torrent of tears. ”It is all my fault!” she moaned. ”It is all my fault! If I hadn't asked her, she wouldn't have got hurt!”

Father and mother tried to soothe her; but her sensitive heart shouldered the entire blame of Ilga's accident, and it required much reasoning before she was able to look at the matter in a true light.

Further reports confirmed the first rumors about the unfortunate girl.

It was extremely doubtful, the physicians thought, if she ever walked again. Dr. Dudley and his wife kept the sad tidings as much as possible from Polly; but she was obliged to hear talk of it at school, and often she would come home at noon only to spoil her dinner with tears.

One evening Polly was, as usual, perched on the arm of her father's chair, when he surprised her with some news.

”I had the pleasure of making Miss Ilga's acquaintance to-day.”

Polly's eyes widened incredulously.

”She is at the hospital,” he continued, ”and has pa.s.sed through a successful operation. It is too soon to be quite positive, but everything looks favorable to-night.”

”Is she going to be able to walk?”

”We hope so.”

Polly dropped her head on her father's shoulder, and sighed a deep sigh of joy.