CHAPTER V DOROTHY'S PROTEGE
"Well, what do you think of that!"
"Well, what do you think of this!"
It was Nat who spoke first, and Dorothy who echoed. They were bothlooking at letters--from Tavia and from Bob.
"I knew Bob would find her interesting," said Nat, with some irony in histone.
"And I knew she would finally like him," said Dorothy, significantly.
"Bob has a way with girls," went on Nat, "he always takes themslowly--it's the surest way."
"But don't you think Tavia is very pretty? Everyone at school raves abouther," Dorothy declared with unstinted pride, for Tavia's golden brownhair, and matchless complexion, were ever a source of pride to her chum.
"Of course she's pretty," Nat agreed. "Wasn't it I who discovered her?"
Dorothy laughed, and gave a lock of her cousin's own brown hair a twist.She, as well as all their mutual friends, knew that Nat and Tavia werethe sort of chums who grow up together and cement their friendship withthe test of time.
"Come to think of it," she replied, "you always did like red-headedgirls."
"Now there's Mabel," he digressed, "Mabel has hair that seems amisfit--she has blue eyes and black hair. Isn't that an error?"
"Indeed," replied Dorothy, "that is considered one of the very bestcombinations. Rare beauty, in fact."
"Well, I hope she is on time for the Christmas-tree affair out atSanders's, whatever shade her hair. I don't see, Doro, why you insist ongoing away out there to put things on that tree. Why not ask the SundaySchool people to trim it? We gave the tree."
"Because I promised, Nat," replied Dorothy, firmly, "and because I justlike to do it for little Emily. I got the very doll she ordered, and AuntWinnie got me a lot of pretty things this morning."
"Wish momsey would devote her charity to her poor little son," said theyoung man, drily. "He is the one who needs it most!"
"Never mind, dear," and Dorothy put her arms around him, "you shall havea dolly, too."
"Here's Ned," he interrupted, "I wonder if he got my skates sharpened? Iasked him, but I'll wager he forgot."
The other brother, a few years Nat's senior, pulled off his furlinedcoat, and entered the library, where the cousins were chatting.
"Getting colder every minute," he declared. "We had better take thecutter out to Sanders's--that is, if Doro insists upon going."
"Of course I do," Dorothy cried. "I wouldn't disappoint little Emily foranything. Funny how you boys have suddenly taken a dislike to going outthere."
"Now don't get peevish," teased Ned. "We will take you, Coz, if we freezeby the wayside."
"Did you get my skates?" Nat asked.
"Not done," the brother replied. "Old Tom is busy enough for tengrinders. Expect we will have a fine race."
"And I can't get in shape. Well, I wish I had taken them out toWakefield's. He would have had them done days ago. But if we are going toSanders's, better get started. I'll call William to put the cutter up."
"Here come Ted and Mabel now. They're sleighing, too," exclaimed Dorothy."Won't we have a jolly party!"
"That's a neat little cutter," remarked Ned, glancing out of the window."And Mabel does look pretty in a red--what do you call that Scotch cap?"
"Tam o'Shanter," Dorothy helped out. "Yes, it is very becoming. ButNeddie, dear?" and her voice questioned.
"Oh, I don't know," he replied indifferently. "Mabel was always kindof--witchy. I like that type."
"And Ted is--so considerate," Dorothy added with a mock sigh. "I dowonder how Bob and Tavia are getting along?"
"Probably planning suicide by this time--I say planning, you know, notexecuting. It would be so nice for a boy as good as Bob to be coercedinto some wild prank by the wily Tavia."
"She did not happen, however, to lead you into any," retorted Dorothy,"and I take it you are a 'good boy'."
"Oh, but how hard she tried," and he feigned regret. "Tavia would havetaught me to feed out of her hand, had I not been--so well brought up."
This bantering occupied the moments between the time Ted's sleigh glidedinto view, and its arrival at the door of the Cedars.
"'Lo, 'lo!" exclaimed Mabel, her cheeks matching the scarlet of her Tamo'Shanter.
"Low, low! Sweet and Low!" responded Nat. "Also so low!"
"No--but Milo!" said Ned, with a complimentary look at Mabel. "The Venusmended."
"'High low,'" went on Ted. "That's what it is. A high--low and the game!To go out there to-night in this freeze!"
"Strange thing," Dorothy murmured, "how young men freeze up--sort ofantagonistic convulsion."
"Oh, come on," drawled Ned, "when a girl wills, she will--and there's anend on it."
It did not take the girls long to comply--Dorothy was out with Ted,Mabel, Nat and Ned before the boys had a chance to relent.
"Those bundles?" questioned Ted, as Dorothy surrounded herself with thethings for Emily.
"Now did you ever!" exclaimed Dorothy. "It seems to me everything isdispleasing to-day."
"No offence, I'm sure," Ted hastened to correct, "but the fact is--weboys had a sort of good time framed up for this afternoon. Not but whatwe are delighted to be of service----"
"Why didn't you say so?" Dorothy asked.
It seemed for the moment that the girls and boys were not to get along intheir usual pleasant manner. But the wonderful sleighing, and thedelightful afternoon, soon obliterated the threatening difficulties, anda happy, laughing party in each cutter glided over the road, now evenlypacked with mid-winter snow.
The small boys along the way occasionally stole a ride on the backrunners of the sleighs, or "got a hitch" with sled or bob, thus savingthe walk up hill or the jaunt to the ice pond.
"Oh, there's Dr. Gray!" Dorothy exclaimed suddenly as a gentleman in furcoat and cap was seen hurrying along. "I wonder why he is walking?"
"For his health, likely," Ted answered. "Doctors know the sort ofmedicine to take for their own constitutions."
By this time they were abreast of the physician. Dorothy called out tohim:
"Where's your horse, Doctor?"
"Laid up," replied the medical man, with a polite greeting. "He slippedyesterday----"
"Going far?" Ted interrupted, drawing his horse up.
"Out to Sanders's," replied the doctor.
"Sanders's!" repeated Dorothy. "That's where we're going. Who's sick?"
"The baby," replied the doctor, "and they asked me to hurry."
"Get in with us," Ted invited, while Dorothy almost gasped. Little Emilysick! She could scarcely believe it.
Dr. Gray gladly accepted the invitation to ride, and the next cutter withNed, Nat and Mabel, pulled up along side of Ted's.
"You may as well turn back," Dorothy told them. Then she explained thatlittle Emily was sick, and likely would not want her Christmas treetrimmed.
"But I'll go along," she said, "I may be able to help, for her mother issick, even if she is with her."
After all her preparations, it was a great disappointment to think thechild could not enjoy the gifts. Dr. Gray told her, however, that Emilywas subject to croup, and that perhaps the spell would not last.
At the house they found everything in confusion. Emily's sick mothercoughed harder at every attempt she made to help the little one, whileMr. Sanders, the child's grandfather, tried vainly to get water hot on alukewarm stove.
"Pretty bad, Doc," he said with a groan, "thought she'd choke to deathlast night."
Without waiting to be directed, Dorothy threw aside her heavy coat, drewoff her gloves, and was breaking bits of wood in her hands, to hurry thekettle that, being watched, had absolutely refused to boil.
"You can just put that oil on to heat, Miss Dale," Dr. Gray said, hehaving bidden the sick woman to keep away from Emily. "We'll rub her upwell with warm oil, and see if we can loosen up that congestion."
Emily lay on the uneven sofa, her cheeks burning, and her bre
ath jerkingin struggles and coughs.
Dorothy found a pan and had the oil hot before the doctor was ready touse it.
"Quite a nurse," he said, in that pleasant way the country doctor isaccustomed to use. "Glad I happened to meet you."
"I'm glad, too," Dorothy replied sincerely. "Never mind, Emily, you willhave your Christmas tree, as soon as we get the naughty cold cured," shetold the child.
Emily's eyes brightened a little. The tree still stood in a corner of theroom. Outside, Ted was driving up and down the road in evidentimpatience, but Dorothy was too busy to notice him.
Soon the hot applications took effect, and Emily breathed more freely andregularly. Then the doctor attended to the other patient--the mother. Itwas a sad Christmas time, and had a depressing effect even on the youngspirits of Dorothy. She tried to speak to Emily, but her eyes wanderedaround at the almost bare room, and noted its untidy appearance. Disheswere piled up on the table, pans stood upon the floor, papers werelittered about. How could people live that way? she wondered.
Mrs. Tripp, Emily's mother, must be a widow, Dorothy thought, and sheknew old Mrs. Sanders had died the Winter before.
The doctor had finished with Mrs. Tripp. He glanced anxiously about him.To whom would he give instructions? Mr. Sanders seemed scarcely capableof giving the sick ones the proper care.
Dorothy saw the look of concern on the doctor's face and she rightlyinterpreted it.
"If we only could take them to some other place," she whispered to him.Then she stopped, as a sudden thought seized her.
"Doesn't Mr. Wolters always make a Christmas gift to the sanitarium?" sheasked Dr. Gray.
"Always," replied the doctor.
"Then why can't we ask him to have little Emily and her mother taken tothe sanitarium? They surely need just such care," she said quickly.
The doctor slapped one hand on the other, showing that the suggestion hadsolved the problem. Then he motioned Dorothy out into the room across thesmall hall. She shivered as she entered it, for it was without stove, orother means of heating.
"If I only had my horse," he said, "I would go right over to Wolters's.He would do a great deal for me, and I want that child cared forto-night."
"I'll ask Ted to let us take his sleigh," Dorothy offered, promptly. "Hecould go with us to the Corners, and then you could drive."
"And take you?" asked Dr. Gray. "I am sure you young folks have a lot todo this afternoon."
"No matter about that," persisted Dorothy. "If I can help, I am only tooglad to do it. And Mr. Wolters is on Aunt Winnie's executive board. Hemight listen to my appeal."
There was neither time nor opportunity for further conversation, soDorothy hastily got into her things, and soon she was in Ted's sleighagain, huddled close to Dr. Gray in his big, fur coat.
The plan was unfolded to Ted, and he, anxious to get back to his friends,willingly agreed to walk from the Corners, and there turn the cutter overto the charity workers.
"But Dorothy," he objected, "I know they will all claim I should haveinsisted on your coming back with me. They will say you will killyourself with charity, and all that sort of thing."
"Then say I will be home within an hour," Dorothy directed, as Ted jumpedon the bob that a number of boys were dragging up the hill. "Good-bye,and thank you for the rig."
"One hour, mind," Ted called back. "You can drive Bess, I know."
"Of course," Dorothy shouted. Then Bess was headed for The Briars, thecountry home of the millionaire Wolters.
"Suppose he has already made his gift," Dorothy demurred, as she wrappedthe fur robe closely about her feet, "and says he can't guarantee anymore."
"Then I guess he will have to make another," said the doctor. "I wouldnot be responsible for the life of that child out there in that shack."
"If he agrees, how will you get Mrs. Tripp and Emily out to thesanitarium?" Dorothy asked.
"Have to 'phone to Lakeside, and see if we can get the ambulance," hereplied. "That's the only way to move them safely."
It seemed to Dorothy that her plan was more complicated than she hadimagined it would be, but it was Christmas time, and doing good forothers was in the very atmosphere.
"It will be a new kind of Christmas tree," observed the doctor. "Butshe's a cunning little one--she deserves to be kept alive."
"Indeed she does," Dorothy said, "and I'm glad if I can help any."
"Why I never would have thought of the plan," said the doctor. "I hadbeen thinking all the time we ought to do something, but Wolters'sChristmas gift never crossed my mind. Here we are. My, but this is agreat place!" he finished. And the next moment Dorothy had jumped out ofthe cutter and was at the door of Mr. Ferdinand Wolters.