"If Ethel will take me along, I think I will go with her, and on the way back I will drop in at the store and go to lunch with you. And this afternoon I propose to give myself over to John."
This arrangement gave general satisfaction, only Mrs. Miller suggested that she, being left out of the plans, should claim the evening for herself.
Several things happened to delay Ethel and uncle Ben, so that it was quite a little after noon when they reached the home of the Frazees. Ethel in her new spring suit, with her dainty ways and bright face, was a pleasant sight to the invalid, and uncle Ben seemed to Mrs. Frazee to bring in a whiff of that country air which she had been longing for.
It all came about naturally enough. Ethel's inquiries brought out the information that Annie was not gaining and that the doctor had recommended country air. And Mrs. Frazee said, "We have not had time to plan yet, but I hope a way will be opened for her to go, though it seems just now to be impossible."
Uncle Ben listened, meantime taking in the barenness of the room as to its furnishings. Presently he asked a few questions, not in any sense obtrusive, but such as a sympathetic stranger might ask if he knew how, and uncle Ben did know how. Then he said, turning to Ethel: "Suppose we take your friend here home with us? There's room enough out there, and your aunt would not let her want for care."
Ethel's eyes beamed. "That would be just the thing! May we take her, Mrs. Frazee?" Then Ethel explained that uncle Ben lived about forty miles away in the country, that she was going home with him for a week, and that Annie would be a very welcome guest if she could go.
"You see," said Mr. Benjamin Miller, "if it agrees with her out there she can stay on after Ethel comes back to school; Ethel being with her for the first few days will help her to get used to the place."
Mrs. Frazee was too much overcome to express her joy at this unexpected turn of affairs. She tried to say it was too much, that they were strangers to him, and could not expect such kindness; but uncle Ben said:
"It's all right! This seems to be the next bit of work that the Lord has set for me to do, and it is not an unpleasant task, I'm thinking. Someway he gives me pleasant things to do, mostly!"
So it was settled, and a week later Mrs. Frazee's heart was cheered by a letter from Annie herself. She wrote: