When a cheering looking line of waiters appeared with plates and napkins, the great man and his little court settled in a cozy nook and proceeded to fly in the face of all the best health experts. And to see the Doctor shamelessly send for more bouillon, and consume sandwiches, and sliced turkey, and candied sweet potato and salad, and oh, dear, all _sorts_ of things, was enough to make any Scout hungry, and they just feasted and feasted.
Although the doctor refused to talk to the wise men, he did talk to the girls, getting on the subject dearest to him, as all professional men will, and telling them many an amusing story and pathetic incident.
Finally he rose. "I must go, girls," he said. "I said good-bye to Mrs.
Horton when I came in, so I could just slip out a little side door there is here."
He shook hands all around and patted each straight shoulder. "Don"t forget me," he said, "and remember if there is anything I can do to help, we are all working together. See this?" He smiled and pulled aside his coat. There on his waistcoat was the Thanks Badge they had sent him.
"I always wear it," he said, and with a merry good-bye hurried through the little door, and was gone.
Rosanna went to the hall and looked out.
"Hurry, hurry!" she called. "Here she comes! We nearly missed her!"
The bride, in her travelling dress, was coming down the stairs. She paused on the landing and looked down at the sea of smiling faces below.
Then suddenly she tossed her bouquet out. A dozen hands reached for it, and the girl who caught it danced up and down. Everyone laughed.
"What did she do that for?" asked one of the Websters.
"The one who catches the bride"s bouquet," said Miss Jamieson, "will be the next one married."
"Quick!" cried Elise. "Let us all form the guard-line for her. Never mind those staves!"
Slipping through the throng and out the door, the girls formed a double line to the automobile waiting at the curb. A great white bow was tied on the back, and Rosanna quickly took it off and hid it.
"Cita wouldn"t like that," she explained. Then she stood with her hand on the door. The house door opened and in a blaze of light, confetti and rice showering about her, rose leaves floating above her, the little bride and her tall young husband ran down the steps and through the double line of Scouts, who closed solidly before the door of the limousine as she entered it. The other guests were shut out. For that moment she was again their little Captain and belonged to them alone.
Forming in a solid group, they suddenly shouted the Girl Scout yell, threw her a shower of kisses, and crying good-bye over and over, watched her little hand wave a farewell as the car sprang forward.
Helen and Elise were Rosanna"s guests for the night. A couch had been prepared so the three girls could sleep in the same room. They rolled themselves up in bathrobes, and sat on the edge of the couch just as they had sat on the top step so many months ago, only this time Elise did not knit. She too sat with her chin in her hands, staring out of the window. Rosanna had snapped off the light. A million stars in a deep frosty sky looked down on them. The night sparkled. It was very, very late, but Mrs. Horton with surpa.s.sing wisdom had not asked them to go right to bed. She too was awake, dreaming long dreams.
Presently Elise spoke. "So much of happiness makes me sad," she said.
"Well, it is all over," sighed Rosanna.
"Not at all!" cried Elise. "What could be over? Not Meeses Horton, who is just beginning. Not us, who have so many, many works to do. Not Gwenny who steps into a new life. Just see all those stars. They shine and sparkle always, no matter what goes on down here."
"You sound like a little sermon, Elise dear," said Helen, smiling.
"I don"t know just yet what it is you call sermon, but I hope it is nice," replied Elise.
"Yours is, anyway," said Rosanna, kissing the fair face beside her.
"All I meant was that this is over, the wedding and all that. Oh, of course I didn"t mean that _everything_ was over. It is just as though a beautiful day had ended, as it has," Rosanna continued. "Others will come, many, many other busy, beautiful days, and on my honor, I will try to do my duty to G.o.d and my country, to help other people at all times and to obey the Scout laws," said Rosanna softly, lifting her eyes to the eternal stars.
THE END