Rosemary gathered up the boxes and put them on the side table and dinner proceeded pleasantly enough. Aunt Trudy was a social soul and seldom at a loss for something to say. She sat in the absent mother's place and beamed upon the little circle, Dr. Hugh across from her, Rosemary at his right, Shirley next to her and on the other side of the round table, Sarah the silent. Sarah was certainly a child of few words and she was never troubled by any idea that something might be expected from her in the way of a contribution to the general talk. To-night she sat stolidly, her dark eyes roving now and then to the candy boxes which were behind Rosemary.
"So you're going to practice right here in Eastshore, Hugh?" Miss Wright was saying as Winnie brought in the salad, "your mother wrote me, before she was ill, that you expected to take Doctor Jordan's office; has he retired?"
"No, not retired exactly," answered Hugh, "but he is planning to take a long and much-needed vacation. He left for Maine this afternoon. We both thought it better for many reasons to make no change in the office—I'll take his just as he left it. Of course I'll have some kind of a place here, too, but not many patients will call here."
Sarah created a diversion by pushing back her plate and slipping down from her chair.
"Where are you going, dear?" her aunt asked in surprise. "Don't you want any dessert?"
"No, it's cornstarch pudding," said Sarah calmly.
Miss Wright apparently accepted the explanation, but Doctor Hugh spoke sharply.
"Sarah, come back here—dinner isn't over yet."
Sarah stopped and faced him defiantly.
"I don't want any pudding," she declared, scowling. "Winnie knows I don't like it and she always makes it."