When Saturday morning came she went with Doctor MacLaren to see Gwenny, and after she had introduced him to Gwenny’s mother she went and sat in the automobile with Mary and Luella and Myron and Baby Christopher to talk to. But she scarcely knew what she was saying because she was so busy wondering what the doctor would do to poor Gwenny, whose back nearly killed her if anyone so much as touched it.
The doctor stayed a long, long time, and when he came out he stood and talked and talked with Gwenny’s mother. He smiled his kind, grave smile at her very often, but when he turned away and came down the little walk Rosanna fancied that he looked graver than usual.
“Is she very bad?” Rosanna asked when the machine was started.
“Pretty bad, Rosanna dear,” said the doctor. “She will need a very serious operation that cannot be done here. She will have to go to a hospital in Cincinnati where there is a wonderful surgeon, Doctor Branshaw, who specializes in troubles of the spine. He will help her if anyone can. She is in a poor condition anyway, and we will have to look after her pretty sharply to get her in as good a shape physically as we can. If she goes, I will take her myself, and will have her given the best care she can have. What a dear, patient, sweet little girl she is.”
“Yes, she is!” agreed Rosanna absently. “Well, if she is as sick as you think, I don’t see but what we will just have to earn the money some way or other!” Rosanna was very silent all the way home, and that afternoon she retired to the rose arbor and worked as hard as ever she could on the play. It was really taking shape. Rosanna would not show the paper to Helen or to Elise, who had been told the great secret. She wanted to finish it and surprise them.
By four o’clock she was so tired that she could write no longer. She put her tablet away and started to the telephone to call Helen. As she went down the hall the door bell rang. She could see a familiar figure dancing up and down outside the glass door. It was Elise, apparently in a great state of excitement. Rosanna ran and opened the door.
Elise danced in. She caught Rosanna around the waist and whirled her round and round.
“Behold I have arrive, I have arrive!” she sang.
“Of course you have arrived!” said Rosanna. “What makes you feel like this about it?”