Polly was annoyed. She was in the midst of an enchanting tale, and she
so wished to finish reading it. Truly, she was not glad to see Gwen
Harcourt.
She never treated anyone rudely, however, so she closed her book and
went out to greet her early visitor.
"I guess you'd think I wanted to come up here if you knew HOW I came,"
said Gwen.
"How did you come?" Polly asked, not because she cared but in order to
say SOMETHING. She could not say that she was glad to see her.
"Through the window and over our hedge," said Gwen. "Mama said that as
I'd been horrid at the breakfast table I must stay in all the forenoon.
I didn't think that was fair, because I wasn't VERY horrid. I put my
foot on the table so I could tie my shoe ribbons. Papa said,
'Gwendolen!' and I took it down quick. Then I took some peanut shells
from my pocket and sailed them in my cup of chocolate. They looked like
little boats. My piece of melon had the stem on it and I said it was a
music box. I wound the stem round and round, and sung 'Yankee Doodle.'
Mama made the waitress take me away from the table and I just howled all
the way! I don't think I need have stayed in for such little things as
that! I DIDN'T stay in. I jumped out of the window, it's near the
ground, and then, because it was the shortest way, I scrambled right
over the hedge. Horrid old thing! It had thorns on it, and it scratched
my knee."
Polly thought her a handsome little savage.
Gwen thought that she had made an impression upon Polly.
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