“Oh, I was in a hurry and it didn’t seem worth while,” Ellen answered casually, wondering just why she didn’t want her cousin to see it. “The check was the main thing. I am sure it will pay your hospital expenses.”
“But not the doctor.”
“Perhaps not, but I have another scheme for that.”
“What is it?”
“Sha’n’t tell you till I see how it is going to work out.”
Miss Rindy drew the girl’s head down as she rose to go. “You are a good child, Ellen,” she whispered, “and I am thankful you are here instead of scrubbing down the back stairs of some Home.”
“So am I,” Ellen whispered back. Then the doctor and the nurse appeared, and in a few minutes Ellen was on her way back to town.
During these daily trips back and forth to the hospital she had many confidential talks with the doctor, who was always friendliness itself, and one day came an opportunity to lay before him the scheme of which she had spoken to Miss Rindy. It was when he spoke of the pressure of his work, and of how difficult he found it to get time for correspondence and the making out of bills.
“I don’t see why I couldn’t do some of that,” Ellen spoke up. “If you would let me pay our bill that way, I’d be very grateful, Doctor.”
“What bill?”