Grandpa Gil was listening attentively.
“You know father isn’t so very, very rich. I don’t mean that we don’t have loads to eat and quantities of fuel to keep us warm and more clothes than we can wear, but it is when the educations come that there isn’t quite enough. You see Dick is going to college and if I have to go to the Academy at the same time, somebody might have to get left and of course it would be me. Kathie thought she could help out by taking the school here next year,—Miss Jewett is going to be married, you know.”
“Yes, I know. Go on, my dear; I am interested in all you are telling me.”
“So, you see,” Elizabeth continued, “that would be all right, for when my turn came I could teach and send Babs to the Academy while Bert goes to college. But, what do you think? Aunt Eunice has invited Kathie to spend next winter with her and wants to give her lessons in anything she likes, and if she goes where will I be? And if she doesn’t go, I shall feel like a pig for keeping her at home on my account. That’s the secret, Grandpa Gil.”
“I understand; but I still fail to see where the babies come in.”
“Oh, I forgot; I didn’t finish about aunt Eunice. You know I thought she was very much interested in poor babies, and I thought if she believed I was interested in them, too, she might begin to take more notice of me. She did look right at me and not over my head, but she somehow didn’t approve of the McGonigle babies. I wonder if she approves of all the babies she helps.”
Grandpa Gil smiled and shook his head. “We won’t inquire into that, but I should like you to see, my dear little girl, that when persons do things for a self-interested reason they do not always make the impression they wish. If you had really played nurse for Mrs. McGonigle because you thought only of helping her, you would not have come so far from home, would you?”
“No, I suppose not.”
“And do you think your parents would like you to try to win favor from your aunt Eunice by pretending?”
“Oh dear; I see I was all wrong, Grandpa Gil. Mother and father would just hate me to do anything like that, and they would hate to have anything done for me that there was any slyness in getting. I am sure of that. Father hates anything of that kind.”