efforts of Mrs. Adams to turn the conversation, she was running on
and on, helped by an occasional word from the doctor, who derived
much amusement from the old woman's visits. As Polly and Jean
seated themselves across the table from her, she glanced up to eye
them with little favor, and then went on,--

"As I was saying, I stopped in to Miss Hapgood's on my way up, and
she'd just got a letter from Kate. You remember Kate Harvey, her
sister that married Henry Shepard and went out to Omaha to live,
don't you? He's made a lot of money, but people always said he was
a miserable sort of fellow."

"Let the doctor give you some of the oysters, Miss Bean,"
interrupted Mrs. Adams desperately. "No, I don't eat oysters now;
there's no R in August," replied Miss Bean frankly.

"Unless you spell it O-r-gust," whispered Jean, in an aside which
made Polly choke over her glass of water.

"Well," resumed Miss Bean tranquilly, "Kate's got two daughters of
her own, about Molly's age, and she wants 'em to come there and
board, and go to school at Miss Webster's. I don't know's I
wonder, for I don't suppose there's any schools in them little
western towns; but Mis' Hapgood's all upset about it. I told her
she'd better take 'em, and charge a good, round price for 'em; but
she says she hasn't much room, and then she don't know how they'd
get along with Molly."

"Do you think they'll come?" inquired Polly eagerly.