said Rose.

"You'll be happier in this handsome house with your Uncle John, than
you ever were when you lived here at Avondale before at the little wee
cottage with your Aunt Judith."

"Oh, yes," Rose said quickly, "because _now_ I know that Aunt Judith
loves me, but _then_, I thought she didn't. With Uncle John,--why every
moment since I've lived at his house, I've known that he loved me."

A moment she sat thinking, then she spoke again.

"When I lived here at Avondale before, I lived _all_ the time at the
cottage, but now I'll live here, with dear Uncle John, and go down to
see Aunt Judith, oh, sometimes."

Then she turned to look at her playmate.

"Polly, _Dear_ Polly!" she cried. "You look more like a princess than
when we first called you 'Princess Polly.' Now, who ever thinks of
calling you Polly Sherwood, your real, _truly_ name?"

"Who cares which they call me, so long as they love me?" cried Polly
with a merry laugh.

They were in the garden at the rear of the house, but between trees
and shrubbery they could see a bit of the avenue.

Something moving attracted their attention.