O'Neill, some minutes before, had risen half way up from her lounge
and was leaning her head on her arm, while she watched Betty's curious
proceedings. "The greatest thing in the world?" she repeated softly.
"Far wiser persons than I found the answer to that question many years
ago. The greatest thing in the world is love."
Betty nodded. "Now, Polly, you may have the next guess, though you are
sure to say the wrong thing. What is the next greatest thing to love?"
Polly shrugged her thin shoulders, her face still moody in spite of her
recently awakened interest. "Oh, I told you the answer to that question
when you first came into this room, Betty Ashton, though none of you
chose to believe me. It is plain as a pipe-stem to me that wealth is
the next best thing to love and sometimes it is better when you happen
to love the wrong thing--or person."
"It rhymes with wealth but begins with the letter 'h'," the questioner
returned hastily, too much in earnest to waste further time in argument.
"Now, Mollie, you have the third turn, remember you are to decide what
the first syllable stands for, 'Wo'."
For a few seconds the third girl hesitated, her cheeks flushing
uncomfortably. Not so quick or clever with her tongue as Polly and
Betty she was far more gifted with her fingers.
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