"Polly, you KNOW the Peters family wouldn't let me have it," said
Kate.
"If it's a boy, they wouldn't WANT it," said Polly. "Neither
would you, for that matter. If it's a girl, they'll fight for it;
but it won't do them any good. All I want to know is, WILL YOU
TAKE IT?"
"Of course I would, Polly," said Kate.
"Since I have your word, I'll feel better," said Polly. "And
Mother, you needn't be AFRAID of it. It will be all right. I
have thought about it so much I have it all figured out. It's
going to be a girl, and it's going to be exactly like you, and its
name is going to be Katherine Eleanor. I have thought about you
every hour I was awake since I have been gone; so the baby will
have to be exactly like you. There won't be the taint of
Grandmother in it that there is in me. You needn't be afraid. I
quit sneaking forever when Adam told me what I had done to you. I
have gone straight as a dart, Mother, every single minute since,
Mother; truly I have!"
Kate sat down suddenly, an awful sickness in her heart.
"Why, you poor child you!" she said.
"Oh, I've been all right," said Polly. "I've been almost petted
and loved to death; but Mother, there never should be the amount
of work attached to living that there is in that house. It's
never ending, it's intolerable. Mrs. Peters just goes until she
drops, and then instead of sleeping, she lies awake planning some
hard, foolish, unnecessary thing to do next. Maybe she can stand
it herself, but I'm tired out. I'm going to sit down, and not
budge to do another stroke until after the baby comes, and then I
am going to coax Henry to rent a piece of land, and move to
ourselves."
Kate took heart. "That will be fine!" she cried. "That will be
the very thing. I'll ask the boys to keep their eyes open for any
chance for you."
"You needn't take any bother about it," said Polly, "because that
isn't what is going to happen. All I want to be sure of now is
that you and Adam will take my baby. I'll see to the rest."
"How will you see to it, Polly?" asked Kate, gently.
"Well, it's already seen to, for matter of that," said Polly
conclusively. "I've known for quite a while that I was sick; but
I couldn't make them do anything but kiss me, and laugh at me,
until I am so ill that I know better how I feel than anybody else.
I got tired being laughed at, and put off about everything, so one
day in Hartley, while Mother Peters was shopping, I just went in
to the lawyer Grandmother always went to, and told him all about
what I wanted. He has the papers made out all right and proper;
so when I send for Uncle Robert, I am going to send for him, too,
and soon as the baby comes I'll put in its name and sign it, and
make Henry, and then if I have to go, you won't have a bit of
trouble."