"And won't you have to go see any sick people at all?" demanded Shirley, almost upsetting her glass of milk in the excitement of having a brother with time to spare.
"I left word with Mrs. Welles that I'd answer emergency calls, of course," explained Doctor Hugh, answering his mother's unspoken question. "I've arranged it so I won't have to go the hospital and, barring the unforeseen, I can count on a free fortnight. So we'll hope there won't be any sick people to go see, Shirley."
"Where are you going, Rosemary?" the doctor hailed her as she and Sarah started down the lawn after breakfast was over.
"We thought we'd go down and see Jack," called Rosemary.
Doctor Hugh pushed open the screen door and came down the steps.
"Let Jack get his bearings first," he advised. "There is bound to be a number of new experiences for him this initial day and I think it will be kinder to let him get adjusted to his job. He'll be up this evening and you and Mother can play for him and cheer him up generally."
"Why—why—will he need cheering up?" Rosemary looked so startled that her brother laughed.
"Not precisely cheering up, perhaps," he said, "but a mental and physical rest. Jack is bound to have sore muscles, after a long day bending over tomato crates; he thinks he knows what it means to work, but he has never worked in his life as he will now. And I don't know, but I suspect, he may have a sore mind; Jack has never worked for anyone and he must learn to be 'bossed.' All in all, Rosemary, I'd put off going down to the tomato field till to-morrow."
"Well—all right," agreed Rosemary reluctantly. "I do think he might have stayed with us and then he would have had a better time."
"If we're not going down to the field, I'll go get Bony and take him down to the brook," said Sarah, quick to seize her advantage. "I can wash him while Shirley goes wading."