Corinne gathered the sobbing form in her arms and crooned to her: "You won't have to, dearie, for—you're going along, too!"
Margaret sprang back from her embrace, pushed the tangled curls from her eyes, and gazed at Corinne as though her friend had suddenly gone crazy.
"What?" was the only word she could utter.
"Now, just you let me explain it all," began Corinne, soothingly, settling down on the bed beside her. "And don't you get so excited, because it isn't good for you. I'll tell you the whole story. It was like this. After Father found it was best to go to Bermuda, he made up his mind that Aunt Katharine and I might as well go, too, because he hates to go alone. And, of course, I was crazy to go, but just one thing kept me from being entirely delighted, and that was—you! I hated to leave you, because I love you, and also because you are not at all well just now. Father and I have both been very anxious about you. So we got to talking it over, and suddenly he said: 'Why not invite Margaret to come along with you as your guest! The trip might do her a great deal of good, and I know you two are growing as inseparable as a pair of Siamese twins!'
"Well, you can just warrant I was delighted, for I knew Father'd never make such a suggestion unless he really wanted you, too! He said he would call on your mother at her place of business, and see if she would consent, and also on your doctor, to see if he thought the trip would be advisable. I begged him to make them keep it a secret, so that, if everything went well, I could surprise you with the news when it was all settled. I hated to have you disappointed in case the doctor thought it wasn't wise, or your mother felt that she couldn't consent to your going.
"Your mother was awfully surprised, of course, and for a while she almost refused, because she felt it to be too much for Father to do. But when she found that it was going to do you so much good, and how terribly I wanted you, she gave in. And you needn't worry about being taken care of and having everything done for you that Sarah does. I'm going to do that! It's to be my job, being your lady's maid, and won't I enjoy it! Aunt Katharine will help too, when necessary. She's lovely and kind and gentle, and you're going to like her a lot!
"Honey, we sail a week from next Wednesday, and I can hardly wait for the time to come!"
There was surprise and rejoicing in the Charlton Street house that night when Mrs. Bronson arrived and the great secret became public property. Mrs. Bronson admitted that she had known about it for several days, and was having a pretty outfit of traveling clothes made for Margaret. The twins were frankly delighted, for they had been themselves experiencing much secret anxiety on account of Margaret's precarious health, as indeed had all the household. Alexander gave an Indian war-whoop that was ear-splitting and performed the acrobatic feat of standing on his head in the middle of the parlor floor for three minutes unassisted! The extraordinary racket brought an indignant Sarah up from the kitchen to investigate.
But it was when Sarah heard the news that consternation fell upon the happy household. She placed both hands on her massive hips, threw back her head, squared her shoulders, and announced:
"If Margie puts one fut aboard that rampagin' ship, I go out of this house, never to retur-rn!"