Happy Pollyooly: The Rich Little Poor Girl

ening brain. The Honourable John Ruffin had thrown quite a new light on them in suggesting that they

facade, black with the smuts of ninety years, a little daunting, and mounted it

t the sight of Pollyooly he started back; for the moment

across the thresho

the Duke of Ost

m stood not his mistress, but that young red Deeping who had on

tell him that Miss Bride want

see if his grace will see you,"

oom, said that he would inform his grace, and betook himself to his master in the smoking-room, wearing a perturbed air, for the duke had as complete

irl of the name of Bride-wants to see your Grace," said Lucas. "It's

in for?" said the duke on the

ortant, your Grace," said

et slip an opportunity of getting information about her. On the other hand he might be about to be called upon to pay more for

he said

ackass in London in my

ollowed him eagerly and came into the smoking-room with a brave air, though she was n

d at his unamiable face with l

ou do, yo

; then grew arti

do you

ly in one of the big easy cha

Grace, I came to see

angel face of his visitor. During her last, compulsory visit it had been so much m

because her mother died who used to dance at the Varolium in the second row, but of

it got to do with me?"

, though of course she'd work hard and be very willing," said Pollyooly speaking

l have an idle enough time there," said the d

workhouse," said Pollyool

?" said

very sternly, and said

f the Varolium ballet for years and years; and she always kept Millie

duke stubbornly, for he hated to hear the workhouse in any

l to go to the workhouse?" said Pol

eedn't consider," sai

ught to go to a home and be trained to marry an empire-builder. She's that kind of orphan: Mr. Ruf-a gentleman says that she is. And I came to ask you if you'd give her a nomination so that she could go

le to the tribute she had paid to his power in the matter of the Bellingham Home. But he was in a captious mood; and he did not wish to oblige her. His mind was chiefly full of the fact that

made a direct refusal dif

ter I have been approached in the proper way and received testimonials and-er-sifted them

deserving orphan than Mill

t the time of year when vacancies in the home are filled up," said the duke, hardening himsel

ld her that he did not intend to grant her petit

f you told them to take in Millie at

ms in the proper way," said the duke, falling yet more firmly back behind th

rite," she said in the sad tone of one confronted with an uncongenial task. "Then you could consid

," said the duke almost cheerfully, as he saw that in an ir

e had suggested. She looked at the duke with a calculating eye. Nature, thinking probably that if was enough for a man to be a duke, had not been lavish of beauty to him: his somewhat small features were often set in an unamiable expression, and

, blinked her eyes hard to make them water, hid them under

illie-she'll be-drea

completely disagreeable at his ease, certainly without any such ass

about it. It can't

ght the change in his ton

you could do it-

e done in the proper wa

watching the weakening face of the perturbed nobleman with an

set eyes on her

d it's-it's beastly

ly by an angel child-especially when the description

ching him, sob

e shuffled his feet till the shuffle was almost

here-tha

Duke gazed at her i

s grew yet loud

hurried turn up

ed figure of despe

little moustache and held on t

his moustache; and then in a tone

t infernal howling; and I'

imself down into the chair before the writing-table, a

brat's name?

unders," sobb

sed it to the secretary of the Bellingham Home, licked the f

th it to Pollyooly, held it out, a

nd-and-much goo

took it. She could hardly

e! Millicent will be so g

rocity. Also it robbed his surrender of its sting. He rang the bell; then opened the smoking-

him again. When she went out he shut the door quite gently; and by the time