“Dinner! Why, Sally, we just finished breakfast. I’m sure I don’t want anything to eat so soon,” replied Miss Selina.
“It’s pas’ one o’clock, Miss S’lina, an’ you allus likes de meals to be on time,” ventured Sally.
“I’m sure I feel as if it was dinner time, ’cause I’m so hungry,” added Ruth, who always had a healthy appetite.
Aunt Selina laughed indulgently as she rose and limped slowly indoors.
Immediately after dinner Ruth hurried to the library and brought forth a pencil and paper. Meeting her aunt in the hall she said, “Now, we’ll sit down and put all of our plans on paper.”
The greater part of the afternoon was passed in this engrossing work.
That night Aunt Selina again sought her bed with a great sense of gratitude that she could enjoy the rest without any pain. She slept all through the night and awoke in the morning feeling strong and energetic. Almost every trace of her lameness had disappeared.
The mail lay upon a silver tray beside her plate, and she smiled as she handed two letters to Ruth.
“May I read them, Flutey?” asked Ruth, as soon as she had peeped at the post marks.
Aunt Selina nodded, and Ruth tore open the one from the Blue Birds first, saying in an explanatory tone, “I like to leave the best for the last.”