That evening, however, the bell rang, and Mrs. Stewart asked who was there. The girls were already upstairs.
"Mother--wait till I get there!" called Anne, anxiously.
In another moment, Anne, in a negligée, ran downstairs and opened the street-door which opened into a vestibule.
A large long box was handed in and Anne signed the book. It was addressed to "Miss Polly Brewster, Studio, 1003 East Thirtieth Street, New York."
"Polly, here's a great box of flowers from someone," Anne called, standing at the foot of the stairs.
Instantly, Polly and Eleanor scrambled downstairs and Polly tremblingly tried to untie the string about the box.
"Dear me--it won't even break!" said she, trying to tear the cord by pulling at it.
"Here--take the knife!" cried Eleanor, having dashed to the dining-room to catch up a silver knife, and returning with it.
The string was cut, the lid taken off, and several wrappers of oiled paper removed. Then, there, upon a bed of lace-paper rested a dozen of magnificent American Beauties, with stems more than a yard long. And to the cluster, about the middle of the stems, was attached a fine golden cord holding a papier maché heart. The heart had a golden arrow half-buried in its plump center.
"No card, or sign, to say where they came from?" asked Anne, picking the heart up carefully.
"Oh, there's another heart--see! On the point of the arrow at the back," cried Eleanor. And there was another heart fastened to the first one by means of the sharp arrow.
The girls sought carefully for some clue of the sender, but the sweet perfume wafted from the roses was all that rewarded their search.
"Whoever it was, he is a dear!" said Polly, fondly touching the waxen stems.
"And we'll try to keep them as long as possible so, whoever it was, will see that we appreciate the flowers," said Anne, going for water.
"At last I have found a use for that tall vase I bought that first week of auctions," laughed Eleanor, taking the glass from under the window-seat.
Scarcely were the roses arranged to satisfy the admiring group, when the bell rang again. Eleanor being nearest the door, ran out to the small vestibule and peeped through the window in the street-door.
"Well, of all things! Another messenger. Maybe he has a valentine for me."