'"
"Well, I guess you needn't mind," said Rose. "It may be you'd OUGHT to
have said it, but she never'd let you go without writing an old poem,
and p'raps it would have been a long one."
"Oh, dear," said Polly, "I'm ALMOST glad I forgot!"
It was a cordial welcome that awaited them at Sherwood Hall. Mrs.
Sherwood could not wait until Polly should be beside her, but stood upon
the broad piazza, watching until the big automobile appeared around the
bend of the road.
"Ah, there they come!" she cried, "my own little Princess Polly is
coming back to Sherwood Hall."
Up the broad driveway it came, and the moment it stopped Polly sprang
out and into the arms that opened wide to receive her.
"Oh, it's lovely to be with Rose, and I've had a fine time, so why IS it
so sweet to come home ?" she cried.
"We who have loving hearts can easily understand," said Mrs. Sherwood,
"and Mr. Atherton doubtless remembers of days when, as a boy, he went on
vacation trips that he enjoyed with all the ardent spirit of youth, yet
when the day came for returning, his heart beat faster. Home, after all,
seemed the dearest place!"
"That is exactly as I remember it, but there's one thing that you did
not mention, and that was the tears that I had to hide," said Uncle
John.
"I started on my camping trips with high spirits, yet a bit of regret at
leaving home caused my eyes to fill. I could not let the other boys see
the tears for fear of being laughed at, so I made all sorts of excuses
for the moisture by talking of dust and cinders; that, however, never
deceived my comrades for a moment.
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