"Oh, where are the others?"

"Gone over to the other side where the underground river comes out, you know."

"I was saying, Tom, that this must have taken a lot of money."

"More than we figured on, but once we begin to get out the ore, it will roll back four-fold."

Polly was impressed, but still wondered "Where did all the money come from, Tom?"

"Stocks. We wanted to keep most of the Capital for you and the first owners, you know; but investors wouldn't put up so much money without a vote. So we had to sell out some of the voting shares. That's where Mr.

Dalken came in-he bought a big block of your stock, and it is his money that's doing this."

"I think he is the nicest man! I used to think he sent me a wonderful bunch of American Beauty roses for a valentine, but I only learned the other day that it was John! Wasn't it funny?"

Tom laughed with Polly, and said: "What made you think Mr. Dalken sent them?"

"Oh, something happened once to Nolla and me, in New York that n.o.body knows-so don't you go and tell on us, Tom!" Polly waited anxiously to get Tom's promise, then she proceeded.

"And Mr. Dalken happened along in time to save us from the beasts. After that he made us use his small automobile when we went to night-school.

We were awfully grateful to him for it.

"Then when Valentine Day came along, I suggested to Nolla that we send him a lovely card telling him how good he was to us. I sent it, and late that night the roses came. I felt sure, all the time, that he sent them; I thought he had forgotten it was Valentine Day until after my card reached him. I always wondered why he didn't put Nolla's name on the card, too, as well as mine. But now I know he never sent them."

"Does John know you've found him out?" asked Tom.

"No, not yet; but some day I'll tease him about it."

"Don't! let him think you are still trying to guess who sent the roses.

It will tickle him to pieces to believe you think it is an ardent admirer of yours." Tom laughed merrily with Polly at the very idea.

"That's just what I will! And you and I will sometimes pretend _you_ sent the roses to me, and then we will watch John's face. Maybe he will up and tell the truth!" added Polly.

"No, I doubt it. You see, Polly, John is a wonderful actor, and one never knows just what he thinks. If he managed to keep a close mouth to me, his best friend, all this time, it must be because he didn't want Anne to find out he sent you such roses."

Then the two conspirators walked back to join the others, but Polly and Tom felt that they had a good joke between them, thereafter.

CHAPTER XIV-ANOTHER YEAR AT SCHOOL

The summer vacation pa.s.sed quickly for Polly and Eleanor, and September came in with wonderful Autumn weather, when riding and mountain-climbing were just the thing. However, all such outings ended to plan for the return to New York.

A letter had arrived from Mr. Fabian, in which he spoke of his delightful visit with his wife and daughter. They had gone to various places in Europe and England, inspecting and studying all the famous old works of art, and the ancient buildings that made fitting caskets for these rare curios.

"When I read this letter, of all Mr. Fabian has done with his Summer, I feel guilty," said Polly to her friend, Nolla.

"Why should you? We had to rest and drop all idea of study so's to be fresh for this year's work. Didn't we do it?"

"Yes, we rested, all right, Nolla; but it seems we might have done some of the work we planned to do, before we left New York. There is that chest with our colors, paper and other things-we never as much as unlocked it."

"Polly, I can paint any sort of drapery you want, and in any light or shadow. I can paint a vase, a chair or a lamp; I can draw a hall, or a room, or a window. What more do you want? Why should we sit down and make loads of these things all summer, when we know how to do the work, already?"

"I don't know, Nolla, except that we ought to practise!"

"Pooh! I'm ready for all the work they want to pile up on me, now and I'm glad I've been so lazy all summer."

"To tell the truth, Nolla, _I_ am more than ready to work with all my heart. I feel as if I would dry up if I played any more," admitted Polly, laughingly.

With this desire to again take up their studies in New York, the girls left Pebbly Pit the second week in September. By the last of the month, they were eagerly planning with Mr. Fabian for the new year's school work in art and decoration.

"I have a pleasant surprise for you, girls," announced Mr. Fabian, after greetings were exchanged. They all sat under the locust tree in the little yard of the Studio.

"'On with the dance,'" laughed Eleanor.

"As you know, I landed in New York the first week of September, and found most of my friends still away in the country. But Mr. Dalken was in evidence, as ever, eager to offer me his hospitality, until I located for the Winter.

"We sat in the medieval library of his apartment, and I remarked, casually, at the unusual size of his rooms.

"'Yes,' replied he. 'That's the advantage of leasing one of the old-fashioned apartments not so far uptown. One gets the benefit of being near the center of activities in the city, and at the same time one can have the great rooms once occupied by the old gentry of the town.'

"'What a splendid room for gatherings,' I said, never dreaming of his inspiration.

"'Seeing that you are looking for a suitable room in which to conduct your little private cla.s.s of art decorators, why not use this library? I have all kinds of reference books in the cases and I am so seldom at home in the early part of the evening that you will be undisturbed.'

"I was astonished, as you may imagine, and I said, 'But, Mr. Dalken, we couldn't think of using this room and the apartment, without some return for your kindness.'

"He laughed. 'What do I want of rent or its equivalent? I am only too glad to do you and those charming students of yours a good turn. You see, I still owe Polly and Eleanor a great balance which can never be paid. Were it not for those two girls I would not have a child-even though I seldom see my little one.'

"I felt that he was so earnest about the offer that I said we would talk it over with Mr. Ashby and let him judge. Not that I did not see the advantage of using the rooms, but I wanted an impartial friend of Mr.

Dalken's to decide whether or no he might regret the generous offer, later; and then not care to tell us that we bothered him with our regular cla.s.ses three nights a week.

"So we visited the Ashbys the following evening, and to my amazement, Mr. Ashby was enthusiastic over the plan. He said: 'Now you've started out right, Dalk, and to prove how much I think of your offer, I am going to have Ruth join the cla.s.s this year-if Mr. Fabian will take her. It might be rather nice to have Elizabeth join the cla.s.s, also, even though she may not show any talent for the work.'

"'Now, Ashby, you must pardon me if I speak frankly,' Mr. Dalken then said. 'One of the main reasons for Mr. Fabian's resignation from Cooper, and giving all his valuable time to a small cla.s.s, is to urge those talented ones forward. If my little girl, who detests application to study of any sort, were to join this cla.s.s, the basic idea would be ruined. The cla.s.s would be held back by one delinquent. But I appreciate your motive in suggesting a way that I might enjoy the companionship of Elizabeth so often, without the tyranny and incompatibility of her mother's temper.'

"Mr. Ashby colored, as he thought he had been diplomatic in his hint,"

concluded Mr. Fabian. "So now it is settled that Ruth Ashby joins our art cla.s.s, this year, and we will meet at Mr. Dalken's rooms for our work. That is nice for you girls, as it is only a short walk of a few blocks from the Studio."

"_Nice_ for us-why, it is just scrumptious!" exclaimed Eleanor.

"And such a wonderful environment as that library, will give us inspiration, too," added Polly. "I never _did_ see such a kind man as Mr. Dalken! If I had my way to accomplish it, I'd shower all the joys and successes in heaven or earth upon his generous heart."

"He _is_ great and good, and it seems as if justice must be sleeping, when such a man must suffer alone because of a silly moth of a wife. If he would only hearken to his friends and seek freedom from such galling bonds! but he doesn't think divorce ever righted a wrong, and he still hopes he can bring Mrs. Dalken to a sense of her family-obligations and grat.i.tude, for all she has been so unselfishly given. Poor fellow!" Mr.

Fabian shook his head despondently over their benefactor's future.

"Polly and I never knew what was the trouble in the Dalken family, Mr.