“He certainly has, Jean; for that reason we must not do anything to make it harder; he has always looked upon your Aunt Elsie as his sister, and although he left home when he was a mere boy he remembers her perfectly as a little child of whom he was fond; it would break his heart to be compelled, with all the rest, to deny her any kindnesses she may need.”
“But that’s just it; she can’t help being an added burden, and there are her own sister and brother, both of them with plenty of money; they could do a great deal more for her than we possibly can. Do you really think he would want her to come if he realized that?”
Mrs. Forman made a gesture almost like despair, and Ray came to the rescue.
“Of course, Jean, he will want to receive his sister if she wants to come. We can manage to make her comfortable, can’t we, mother?”
“Well, I must say I don’t see how,” Florence said, without waiting for her mother. “You say Aunt Caroline has no downstairs room, and I’m sure we haven’t; why isn’t that an excellent reason for her not coming? For that matter we haven’t an upstairs room, either, that would be nice for her, unless—how could we possibly manage it? Mother, why don’t you speak?”
“You and Jean do not give her any chance,” Ray said, trying to laugh.
Mrs. Forman spoke with evident effort: “There is only one way, Florence; your father and I would have to take an upstairs room.”
“Father move!” Jean’s tone was expressive, and her mother answered it.
“I know—but there is no other way; Aunt Elsie is lame, and stairs for her are out of the question; but I am sure your father would rather move out of the house altogether than be forced to turn down this appeal for his help. We can manage to be comfortable upstairs, I think, in any room that our children are-willing to give up to us.”
She attempted a smile. Ray spoke quickly: “Of course, mother, if it comes to that you and father must have our room; Jean can go with Florence.”