"She said she thought you were the most amusing person she had ever met and that no one could possibly take you seriously. I agreed with her."
"I"ll bet you did!" said Uncle Robert.
"She has gone away," said Rosanna as an afterthought. "She went today. I told her I was sorry she wouldn"t be able to see what you brought me, and wouldn"t see you either, but she said it didn"t make any difference as she wasn"t any more anxious to see you than she supposed you were to see her."
Uncle Robert laughed a short, queer laugh.
"Well, Rosanna, just you watch what happens now! I will just pay her up for that."
"What do you care?" asked Rosanna. "I don"t see what difference it makes. She likes you all right; she thinks you are so funny."
"I will show her how funny I can be," said Uncle Robert. "Where has she gone?"
"To Atlantic City," said Rosanna.
"I may see her there," said Uncle Robert. "The doctor says the sea air would be great for me."
"What ails you?" said Rosanna anxiously. "You look perfectly well."
"A little trouble with my heart," said Uncle Robert soberly. "It acts like the very deuce, Rosanna. Part of the time it feels sort of--sort of, well, sort of _empty_, and then it has spells when I get to thinking hard and beats as fast as it can. It is awful, Rosanna."
"I should say it was!" said Rosanna, "Oh, Uncle Robert, _do_ try to get it well! If anything should happen to you, I would think it was that benefit. You had to work so hard."
"I think myself that had something to do with it," said Robert, "but of course I only did my duty, and I don"t blame a soul."
CHAPTER XII
There was a long silence during which Rosanna studied her uncle closely.
She even forgot the puppy. What if anything should happen to Uncle Robert? As she looked at him it flashed over her that she cared for him with all her heart. She would not know what to do without him. She felt very sad, and when Uncle Robert looked up and surprised the worried expression on her face he laughed, and said:
"Cheer up, sweetness! I am all right, and I want you to promise me that you won"t tell mother what I have just told you. I don"t want to worry her."
"I promise, Uncle Robert; and I always keep my promises," said Rosanna.
"That is a good thing," said Uncle Robert. "I wish I had known that before. I would have had you make me some." But he wouldn"t explain that remark, and soon went out, not seeming to care for the rest of the news which, being all about the Scouts, Rosanna had left until the last as the most important.
The Girl Scouts were very busy now getting ready for Christmas. There was a cast-iron rule in that particular troop that all Christmas presents should be finished and wrapped up three weeks before Christmas.
So with all their own work well out of the way, they were busy as bees making tarleton stockings and collecting toys and dolls for the particular orphanage they had a.s.sumed the care of. Louisville is full of orphanages, and every year the girls were in the habit of choosing one of them for their attention. They dressed a tree, and secured presents for each of the children. These presents were often dolls and toys that had been cast aside by more fortunate children, but the girls took them and mended and painted and dressed them until you would have been surprised at the result. At least they never offered anything that looked shabby. The stockings were filled with popcorn and candy, and a big golden orange gladdened each little heart.
Rosanna worked harder than anyone. School went right on as it always does whether or not Girl Scouts are busy at other things, and every spare moment was spent with the dear little puppy that her uncle had brought her. Mr. Horton still complained to Rosanna about his heart, but was unable to go east as he had planned. He often asked Rosanna if Miss Hooker had returned, although Rosanna had told him a good many times that she did not expect to come back before spring.
But news came from Gwenny. She was so much better that she could come back. As Miss Hooker was away, and Uncle Robert always seemed to have time to do things, the Girl Scouts made him a committee to go and pay the doctor and the hospital bills, and see that Gwenny and her mother reached home safely.
Uncle Robert dashed off to Cincinnati that very night. The next day he returned without Gwenny, and with a queer look on his face asked Rosanna to ask their Lieutenant, who was in charge of the troop, to call a meeting that very afternoon or evening. Rosanna called Miss Jamieson up, and between them they were able to get word to all the girls. Rosanna was as excited as any of them, because Uncle Robert would not tell her what the matter was. When the girls all gathered in Rosanna"s sitting-room, he came in, looking very mysterious and important.
"I have news for you girls--quite remarkable news, I think. To begin, I went down to Cincinnati and found Gwenny so improved that I actually did not know her. Of course she is still in a wheel chair, and will have to stay there most of the time for the next year but every day she goes through certain exercises, and soon will begin to take a few steps.
Doctor Branshaw a.s.sured me that she will some day be as well as any of you. They have taught Mrs. Harter just how to rub her, and help her with her exercises.
"After I had seen Gwenny I went down and paid the hospital bill. It came to a little over two hundred dollars. I have the items in my pocket.
Then I went to Doctor Branshaw"s office, and asked him for his bill. He said, "Sit down. I want to have a talk with you." Well, girls, he wanted to know all about you, and the work you are doing, and how many there are of you in the troop that is taking care of Gwenny. I told him about the benefit, and he said he had heard about that from Gwenny, and her mother as well.
"I didn"t want to bore him, so after we had talked you pretty well out, and over, I asked him again for his bill, and he said, "Horton, there is no bill." I said, "Well, sir, whenever you will have it made out, I will give a check for it. The money the girls made is banked in my name for the sake of convenience."
""How much is there?" asked the doctor. I thought he didn"t want to charge over the amount we have so I told him. He fiddled with a pencil for awhile, then he said:
""Horton, I make the rich pay, and pay well, but I do not intend to ask those girls of yours a cent for this operation.""
A great "O-o-o-o-h!" went up from the girls.
Uncle Robert went on.
"Then the doctor said, before I could thank him, "I wonder if the girls would mind if I make a suggestion," and I a.s.sured him that you would like it very much.
""Well then," said the doctor, "here it is. Gwenny will require a great deal of care for many months to come, rubbing and so forth. Why don"t those good girls take the money and buy a little house somewhere on the edge of the city, or on a quiet street, where the Harters could live and where Mrs. Harter would not have to work so hard to earn the rent? From what she says, the boys earn nearly enough to feed the family. What do you think of that?"
"I told him that I thought it was a splendid idea, and would see what could be done about it. Then he made the finest suggestion of all. He said that another week in the hospital would be of great benefit to Gwenny, and why didn"t I come home and see you and if you all approve, we can buy a small house and settle it and Gwenny can be moved right there."
A shriek of delight went up, and everyone commenced to talk at once.
"Order, order!" cried Mr. Horton. He could scarcely make himself heard.
At last after much talking, it was settled that Mr. Horton should look at a number of houses, and when he had seen them he was to select the three that seemed most promising and take all the girls to see them. But he stipulated that a couple of older ladies should look them over with him, and Mrs. Breen and Mrs. Hargrave were chosen by unanimous vote.
"Now, girls, how are you going to thank the Doctor?" he asked.
No one knew and finally Rosanna suggested that it would be well to think it over. So they all trooped home, Uncle Robert promising to make a report at the end of three days.
It was a long three days, but it pa.s.sed finally, and Uncle Robert appeared with an account of three little bungalows that seemed all that he had hoped for, and more. One of them he thought was the one for them to take, as it was right on a good part of Preston Street where the children could easily get to school. It was brand new, and had never been occupied. Indeed it was not finished but would be within two or three days. After the girls had seen the three houses, Mr. Horton said he would tell them which one Mrs. Hargrave and Mrs. Breen liked the best. Of course all the girls piled into the automobiles of the girls who had them, and made the rounds, and equally of course they all decided on the Preston Street house which was the very one that Mrs.
Hargrave and Mrs. Breen had liked. It was all done except the plumbing in the kitchen, so Mr. Horton went right over to see Minnie who was still keeping house for the Harter children. Minnie heard all about the new plan, and Mr. Horton asked:
"Now, Minnie, do you feel like moving these people all over there, before Mrs. Harter and Gwenny come home, or is it too much to ask you?"
"Just you fetch me a moving van the day you want we should move," said Minnie, "and I will do the rest." She cast an eye around the dilapidated, shabby room. "My, my! What a piece of good luck for the _deservingest_ woman! I tell you, Mr. Robert, the time I"ve been here has been a lesson to me. The way she has scrimped, and saved, and patched, and turned, and mended, and went without! My young man and me on his wages ought to put away fifty dollars every month of our lives.
And so I told him we was going to do. Of course I will move "em! And Mr.
Robert, if it was so I could go around and see the house, perhaps I could tell better how to pack."
"That"s right, Minnie. Suppose we go over now," said Mr. Horton.
Minnie was overjoyed when she saw the little house, and at once picked out a room for Gwenny. The other children could double up, but Gwenny should have a room to herself. Minnie seemed thoughtful all the way home, and finally said, "Mr. Horton, up in your garret, there is a pile of window curtains that don"t fit anywhere, and they will never be used.
I have handled "em a million times while I worked for your mother. And there"s a square table with a marble top that your mother can"t abide the sight of, and a couple of bra.s.s beds put up there when they went out of date. If your mother would spare any of those things I could fix that house so tasty."
"I don"t suppose she wants any of them," said Robert heartily. "I will speak to her about them when I go home, and after supper Rosanna and I will take a joy ride over here and tell you what her answer is."
The answer was that Mrs. Horton was only too glad to get rid of the things Minnie had mentioned, and suggested that before settling the house Minnie might go through the attic and see if there was anything else that she thought would be of service. Mrs. Horton, knowing that Minnie would know better than she could, just what the Harters would appreciate, refrained from making any suggestions; and Minnie found many treasures in the attic. There were portieres, and a soft low couch, the very thing for Gwenny to rest on in the pleasant sitting-room, and the beds, and a table and two bureaus. And she found two carpet rugs.