For my part, I say you're just about perfect." As Mr. Dalken spoke, he carefully lifted the willing baby from the bed and cuddled him in his arms. Then he went from the room.

"Polly!" hissed Eleanor, anxiously, "did you hear what he said?"

"S-sh! let us follow and see what's the matter. Someone came in with Mr.

Dalken, you know," returned Polly in a low voice.

Mrs. Stewart and Anne now crept from behind the heavy window curtains and tip-toed after Polly and Eleanor. And, last of all, Martha came from behind the door and followed in the wake of the other four. Then they heard Mr. Dalken talking.

"Well, here's the boy, but how he ever got into my rooms I cannot say.

Mrs. Ashby will have to explain that, in a minute, as she is the one who seemed to know where to find Martha and the baby."

Martha was still in the hall and could not see who was in the living-room with Mr. Dalken, but the four conspirators now stood staring at the group in the center of the lighted room.

Mr. and Mrs. Ashby were seated in comfortable armchairs, smiling happily at the two standing men and about to make the baby comfortable. He had been transferred from Mr. Dalken's arms to those of a younger man who was trembling with joy at beholding Billy's smiling little face.

"There, now, Martin. Isn't he worth living for? You said you wanted to die, when you found your wife was gone. But let me tell you, my boy, this baby ought to make you brace up." Mr. Dalken patted the strange young man on the shoulder, and just then Martha burst into the room.

"Jimmy! Oh, Jimmy-is it you, or is it someone who looks like my dead Jimmy?"

"Aunt Martha-Dear Aunt Martha-it is your own Jimmy. I was a long time coming home, but here I am at last!"

Then Polly and Eleanor learned the true story about their precious Billy who was, according to them, to have adopted Mr. Dalken for a father.

"Girls, I appreciate your great sacrifice to try and make me happy, for I have heard from the Ashbys how much you wanted to keep Billy, but you felt that he ought to belong to me. Seeing that he came so near to being mine, I shall always take a great interest in him and his relatives,"

began Mr. Dalken, while Jimmy Martin and Martha went into the other room to be alone with the baby.

"You see, Mrs. Ashby is at the bottom of this plot and having roped in her husband to believe just as she did, the next step was to make the whole plan seem accidental.

"So, when Martha was left with the baby, she called on Mrs. Ashby for help. Seeing that the boy had brown eyes and was named Billy, my anxious friend decided that he was what I ought to have to cheer me. Martha was boarded in a country home until I prepared to go west on my business trip.

"Just about that time, you found an unknown babe on your door-step, but had we been able to look behind the scenes, I think you would have seen the Ashby's car down on the corner, and Martha anxiously waiting to see if you took Billy in, all right.

"After that, Billy made his own way with you people, as he is apt to make it with everyone. And what was so natural, as that you should fall in with Mr. Fabian's well-learned lesson. The Ashbys made him memorize just what to say and to do it every day.

"All went as had been planned, and my dear friends here were so pleased with themselves at the little scheme, that they planned to return home with me to-night and see how I liked the baby-surprise. But this is where an unexpected and unknown actor entered upon the stage.

"James Martin was not killed in battle. He was wounded and taken prisoner by the Germans. He was so dangerously injured that he was left to die in a small town in the interior. But he managed to pull through, and after many months of convalescence, he worked his way from Germany back to Paris.

"It took several months more to identify him and get a pa.s.sport for him to America. When he went to his old home town to find his wife and child, he learned that one was dead and the other was taken away by the aunt. The shock sent him to the county hospital again, and it was several months before he could get out to start a hunt for his boy.

"He learned where Martha had gone, and to-night, James called at the house to ask Mrs. Ashby if she knew anything about his boy and aunt. I happened to be in the hall when he came in.

"So here we are, girls; you lose a protege and I lose a boy."

"Oh, but James wins back his boy again!" cried Polly, delightedly.

"I want to know, Mr. Dalken," demanded Eleanor, frowning, "did Ruth Ashby know the truth about this when she told us that yarn about Martha?"

Mr. Dalken laughed. "No, girls. Poor Ruth is as upset about it as you could wish her to be. She wants me to adopt Billy, anyway, even with his real father on hand to claim him. I really think Mrs. Ashby is the one we have to put through the third degree on this whole plot."

Mrs. Ashby looked up and smiled. "Well, I told the truth about the matter, didn't I? But I refrained from telling Ruth that Martha was the same woman who was aunt to Billy, and I withheld the facts that Billy was the same baby that you girls found on your door-step-that's all."

"That's all--" laughed Mr. Dalken. "As if that was not enough! To deprive me of the son my two pet girls tried to place in my arms."

Polly flung herself in his arms and hugged him as she said, "Nolla and I will have to adopt you ourselves, now."

And he whispered in her ear, so only she could hear: "You haven't any idea how happy you girls make me. I have found something in life worth while, since I found all of these good friends."

Then Mrs. Ashby said: "Dalk, you have been hunting for a reliable man and wife to take charge of your apartment, so I think it is Providence that sent Martha and James to you. You will have admirable help in them and little Billy, too."

CHAPTER XVII-POLLY AND ELEANOR LEAVE FOR EUROPE

"I do declare! here it is the first of May, and it seems as if it were but yesterday that we came back to New York to study," exclaimed Eleanor, as Polly and she were returning from art cla.s.s one evening.

"And we are no more decided about what we shall do this Summer, than we were last Fall. If only Dad would consent to our joining the Ashbys and Mr. Fabian on the European trip, in June," returned Polly.

"I'm glad father says _I_ may go if your father consents. Of course we shall have to go, some time or other, Polly, before we could settle down as experienced decorators; but this is a fine opportunity-to be members of a party of appreciative people such as is seldom offered to young beginners as we are."

"Eleanor, have you thought of what we shall do, next year of school, if Anne marries John? You know, Mrs. Stewart says she is going back to Denver to keep house for Paul, as he will graduate with the other boys, next month."

"Uh-huh! John and Tom will settle down at Pebbly Pit to superintend the mine and jewel cliffs, and Paul will join the survey crew in Denver. I suppose my brother Pete will be hanging about them, somewhere, doing odd jobs, now and then."

Eleanor spoke in a half-humorous tone, but Polly was in earnest.

"Well, then, if Anne is John's wife, and Mrs. Stewart in Denver, where do we fit in?"

"I've thought it all out, Polly-never fear! You see Mr. Fabian expects to bring his wife and daughter back to America this year, as Nancy has finished her art studies abroad. If we make ourselves agreeable to them, and then hint gently, on the trip back home, that we have no place to live in, the coming winter, they'll take us right in with them. How'd you like that!"

"Oh, it would be great, Nolla, but would it be quite the proper thing for us to do-to throw ourselves upon their hospitality?"

"Polly, they ought to be thankful to have two such nice girls with them!

To say nothing of our eventually becoming the greatest interior decorators of the present day," exclaimed Eleanor, her well-shaped little head rearing itself in conscious pride.

Polly laughed. "Well, Nolla, we will never suffer for lack of self-esteem. Even if others declare we know nothing, you will be able to keep the family pride up to high-water mark. If we knew but one-third of all you _think_ we do, we could take Mr. Ashby in partnership with us, now."

"There's another thing, Polly, that is a golden opportunity for us. The idea of having a successful decorator like Mr. Ashby plan to take us in his business when we are through school, is enough to turn anyone's head. But not ours, Polly-we are too sensible!"

Again Polly laughed at her friend's meekness-so-called. "Mr. Ashby may change his mind before we are ready to accept his offer. We have two years still in which to study, you know."

"That will fly like these past two years have. Why here we are only sixteen and just see all we know!"

"Yes, and just see all we have yet to know!" retorted Polly.

"I tell you what, those Sat.u.r.day mornings we spent in Mr. Ashby's sales-rooms were a wonderful help, eh?"