although mrs. gresham and polly were most closely concerned in the plans that crowded the next week, dr. dudley’s home and the entire hospital were a little off their balance. mrs. gresham was chiefly occupied in arranging for minor alterations in the new overlook home and purchasing furniture and other appointments that would be needed; while polly and her mother inspected the small patients’ old clothing and ordered new, for nights would be cool up on the mountain and suitable garments must be ready for any emergency.

all the nurses were wondering whose services would be required for the new sanitarium, and each hoped the good fortune would be hers. the rest of the summer among the vermont hills, with polly for companion and only a dozen or so interesting children to care for, was a snap to be eagerly caught up. not many of the doctors appeared to be giving much thought to the matter; only two or three let it be understood that they had no desire to be dispatched to the “top of the world,” with a few kids and two or three girls for sole company.

[80] it was at dinner that dr. dudley and polly first touched upon the subject of helpers for the overlook home.

“you had better take two nurses with you,” observed the doctor.

“how could i need them?” returned polly. “unless in case of an epidemic,” she laughed.

“easy enough,” replied the physician. “i want you to have a good rest.”

“yes, two are none too many,” added mrs. dudley.

the girl scowled musingly. “i am afraid they will be in the way,” she demurred. “it depends on which can go.”

“how should you like miss curtis and the assistant dietitian?”

“perhaps it would be well to have a dietitian along,” she answered. “only benedicta may object.”

“we won’t ask her permission. it shall be mrs. daybill and miss curtis, then.”

“no, no! i don’t need miss curtis. i’ll tell you what i have thought of,” she went on. “you know, lilith hasn’t been feeling quite up to the mark lately, and she is so handy with children, i have been wondering if it wouldn’t be a good plan to ask her to go with us. i am sure she would like nothing better.”

“first-rate. unless the children are really ill lilith will do as well as any one.”

[81] “of course, we must have a physician. can you spare dr. abbe?”

her father gave a little laugh. “he must be obviously fit, since we both had him in mind.”

“and i, too,” smiled mrs. dudley.

polly clapped her hands softly. “he is so shy,” she explained, “i think he will do better than any one else. he won’t be bothering round—like dr. marston, for example.”

“dr. abbe is a fine young fellow,” commented the physician.

“and a good doctor, isn’t he?”

“he is all right,” nodded her father.

“but suppose he shouldn’t want to go? i heard that dr. leggett is hoping he won’t be called.”

“leggett has too many interests here in town.”

“one big interest,” polly smiled. “dr. abbe is too diffident to look at a girl; but the children like him immensely. he is bashful even with them—i have noticed it. strange he should be, so able a man.”

the doctor looked at polly meditatively. only that afternoon he had seen this same shy young surgeon stop to gaze from a window that commanded the garden where polly was gathering sweet pease. he wondered now if it would be wise to send dr. abbe to overlook.

polly glanced up from her plate to meet her father’s eyes.

[82] “what is it?”

“i was thinking—how should you like dr. prowitt, instead of abbe?”

“oh, father, the children can’t bear him! little duke would have a fit, if he were along. didn’t i tell you what he said? the doctor had just been in, and little duke looked up at me and asked, with a queer expression, ‘you like him, mi’ duddy?’

“‘he’s all right,’ i answered. he eyed me closely, and then said,—‘docker prow’t is a b-i-g w-i-n-d that comes down the street ’thout any sunshine.’ and you ought to have heard him say it—away down in his throat. no, i couldn’t stand ‘docker prow’t’ up at overlook!”

they laughed; then the physician grew grave again.

“well—i didn’t know,” was all that he said; but he left the table still wondering if he ought to send dr. abbe.

of course, there was just a chance that polly at the sweet-pea bed might not have been the brilliant objective point of the doctor’s eyes. if only this had been the first time! well, perhaps he and polly could compromise on one of the others.

the girl, however, had no doubts concerning the wisdom of selecting the shy young surgeon for the house physician of overlook, and within an hour she had settled the matter beyond recall.

quite by chance polly met dr. abbe while on[83] her way to june holiday home. she was about to pass him with a pleasant word when she stopped abruptly.

“oh, dr. abbe!” she cried, “have you seen father?”

the doctor looked troubled.

“not since dinner. is he missing?”

“no,” laughed polly. “i meant about overlook. we were wondering at dinner how you would like the appointment.”

the young man’s face flamed. “indeed, few things would give me as much pleasure.”

“then it is all right,” polly exclaimed. “i thought you’d fill the position better than anybody else—”

“oh, miss dudley, you are too flattering.”

“no, it is true. the children just adore you.”

“oh!”

“yes,” polly went on, “i told father i thought you’d be the very best one to go with us, and he agreed with me. i didn’t know but he had seen you already.”

“i am very much obliged to you for your good opinion,” he replied, his face still aflush. “how soon are you going?” he added.

“as soon as we can get ready. it may be lonely for you,” she suggested. “it is miles away from anybody, except a few farmers along the side of the mountain, and you feel farther off than you really are, because only one farmhouse is in sight.”

[84] “i could never be lonely, miss dudley, never,” he assured her. “i am certain i shall love it all.” his blush deepened as he let slip the word.

“that’s jolly,” polly smiled. “it was the only thing i was afraid of. i am so glad you aren’t that kind. i think the sunsets up there—yes, and the sunrises—must be magnificent. and the air! if you have never been up on a vermont mountain you can have scarcely any idea of the wonderful air. i am sure it will do the children no end of good.”

of course, dr. abbe thought just as polly did, and they soon parted, the girl to forget all about the young physician, and dr. abbe to wonder if his good fortune were really true or if he were dreaming.