CHAPTER XV
Uncle Bob had very little to say until Colonel Maslin came in and theygathered around the dinner table. Then, with a smile, he commenced hislittle story.
"Rosanna has been asking me about a million questions. It would take aweek or so, hard labor, to answer them all, and then Colonel Maslin andClaire would want to hear about things, so I will make my little speechnow.
"We were all settled for the summer in a beautiful old place in theolder part of Paris. Just the sort of a place you would love,Rosanna--high walls, and a park with sheep cropping the grass, andwoods, and all that. Deer, too. It's too bad you are not there."
Rosanna flushed. "I don't mind, Uncle Bob," she said, and Clairesqueezed her hand.
"Well," continued Uncle Bob, "Culver's invention is a bigger thing thanwe thought, and we thought it was pretty big. I was being worked todeath with meetings and presentations and contracts, and all that. It isthe one thing that commercial Europe needs today, and there was morework than I could carry.
"Besides that, there was a lot of blueprints, material and so on that Ineeded, and I wanted to get a look at Rosanna here. I'll say, sweetness,that your poor old Uncle Bob missed you something scandalous! So as longas I had to come as far as New York I thought I would run along and seeyou all.
"Culver is going back with me. He is the one man to help out over there,and it is too much for me. Besides," he added abruptly, "I thought ifshe didn't have any pressing engagement on hand, I would take Rosannaback with me."
"Oh, Uncle Bob!" cried Rosanna. "It is too good to be true! Are youtruly in earnest?" It was almost what Rosanna had said months beforewhen Mr. Robert had first announced the trip, and he must haveremembered it, because with a smile he answered, "Hope to live and _haf_to die, Rosanna!" and Rosanna seemed satisfied.
"Oh, Rosanna, I am _so_ glad!" cried Claire. "You have been so good tome, and now you will still have your good time, only it will be muchbetter because you have been so good to me. I am so glad, and motherwill be so glad too when I tell her. Do you know about my mother, Mr.Horton?"
"Your father told me this afternoon. We met downtown, and I congratulateyou with all my heart."
"It is all due to Rosanna," said Claire softly. "Not one of thespecialists or doctors discovered anything wrong with her skull, and Iwas so young when she fell from her horse that I never once connected itwith her trouble. I should think you would be the next happiest girl inthe world, Rosanna. _I_ am the happiest."
"I am very, very happy," confessed Rosanna. "It seems too good to betrue that I am to go to France and the other places after all, and it isso good to go and remember what a happy summer you are having with yourmother. I wish Helen Culver was here, so I could tell her how fortunateI am."
"You won't see her until you reach New York," said Uncle Bob with atwinkle in his eye, but looking very severely at the end of hiscigarette.
"New York!" stammered Rosanna.
"That's right; I forgot to mention that she is going with us."
Rosanna leaned back in her chair and gasped.
"Uh, huh," said Uncle Bob. "Mrs. Culver wants to stay with her sisterwho is seriously ill, and so poor Helen will have to go with us."
"Oh, my!" gasped Rosanna.
"Everything is settled," said Uncle Bob.
"Oh, my!" said Rosanna again. "When do we go?"
"It will take me about a week to get ready," said Uncle Bob. "As soon asyou can get packed, Rosanna, you may come down to the Seelbach with me.I know Claire will have a lot to do to get ready for her mother. Inotice whenever any of our family goes away and gets ready to come back,it is a signal for a mad bout of housecleaning. Everything the poorinnocent absentee has or owns is torn up and hung out on the line, andbeaten and dusted, and sent to the cleaners. And then all the chairs areset in new places so you don't dare come in in the dark and throwyourself down on your favorite divan, because it isn't there. Perhaps atea-wagon full of china catches you or a frail, skiddy smoking stand,but the divan is gone."
Everyone laughed.
"You _are_ abused," said Rosanna.
"It is true," persisted Uncle Robert. "And when the absent one comes in,everyone stands around waiting to hear him or her say, 'Oh, my, how niceit looks.' Anyway, Rosanna, you come down and join me, and as soon as wehear from Culver, who has already gone to see his family, we will be offfor New York. It will be hot traveling."
"I won't mind," said Rosanna, "and you really don't need me any longer,Claire, dear, and I think you ought to have your mother all toyourself."
"She will have to be very quiet for a good while," said Colonel Maslin,"but we won't mind that. Just to see her here or, if she is resting, toknow that she is with us, will be happiness enough for us."
"I should think so!" said Rosanna. "Well, Uncle Bobby, I will come downtomorrow, and you can commence by taking me to the movies."
"Hear that?" cried Mr. Horton. "Indeed, your grandmother said, says she,'Robert,' she says, 'see that Rosanna goes to bed at sharp seven everynight. And also,' says she, 'no movies, or ice-cream sodas, or such!'"
"That sounds so like grandmother!" laughed Rosanna. "Well, I will seeabout things. Oh, Claire, dinner is over, let's go start packing now. Iam _so_ excited!"
The girls excused themselves and raced upstairs, where Rosanna commencedlaying things in neat piles on the divan to be placed in her trunk thefirst thing in the morning. There was a good deal to do the next day.Cita had sent a list of things she wanted Rosanna to see about, and Mrs.Horton had gone off without her favorite pair of glasses which shethought might be found in one of a number of places she named. So thehouse had to be opened, and Rosanna found the glasses, not in any of theplaces mentioned, but on the telephone stand where Mrs. Horton usuallylost them. But as Rosanna looked there first, it really didn't matter.She reached the Seelbach just in time to dress for dinner. It was greatfun.
Uncle Bob sent up word that he would meet her at half-past six andRosanna, feeling thrilled and grown up, finished dressing and sat downto wait. When Mr. Horton came in, he brought a little box with a bunchof sweet peas for Rosanna to wear. He was that kind of a man.
Time did not hang heavily on Rosanna's hands for the next few days. Shespent one day with Mabel, and another in Lexington with Elise Hargrave.
Uncle Bob made but one rule, and that was an ironclad one. She must liedown for an hour each day. Uncle Bob did not want to start across theocean with a worn-out little girl.
Jane and Estella came to see her, and there was talk of a picnic on BaldMountain, but there was no time to put it through. One afternoon Rosannagave a tea. It was a Girl Scout tea and was suggested by Uncle Bob, whoseemed able to attend to an enormous amount of business and run theaffairs of a little girl as well. It was served in the sitting-room thatRosanna and Uncle Bob shared. Elise came up from Lexington, and Rosannafound that about fifteen of their Troop were still in the city. Thehotel people set a very pretty table for her, and Uncle Robert came inat noon with a box which he himself carefully opened. Inside were rowsof tiny kewpie dolls dressed like little Girl Scouts. Rosanna wasdelighted.
"They just need one thing," said Uncle Robert, getting out his fountainpen and carefully inking some little dots on their sleeves.
"There!" he exclaimed when the deed was done. "Any Girl Scouts of_mine_ must have Merit badges."
Every one came, and after the first little stiffness it was a greatsuccess, especially when Uncle Robert came in bringing Colonel Maslinwith him. You wouldn't believe how nice two grown men could be to a lotof Girl Scouts.
Jane was the first to say she must go. "We will see you tomorrow," shesaid, but Uncle Bob shook his head.
"It is good-bye today," he explained. "I am through with the businessthat brought me over on this side, and we will take the 8:40 throughtrain tonight for the East, if Rosanna can get ready."
"I can be ready in an hour!" cried Rosanna. "Especially if Claire willstay and help me."
Claire looked at her father. "Of co
urse I will help you, Rosanna dear,but I must go home first. Is the car here, dad?"
"Yes; I thought we could take some of these young ladies home," said theColonel.
"And I will take the rest," offered Mr. Horton. There was a gust ofgood-byes and good wishes, and Rosanna was alone. It was almost sixo'clock.
Rosanna had kept her trunk nearly packed, and by the time Clairereturned the things that had been in her dresser were laid on the bedready to put in the trays. Claire brought her a gorgeous embroideredkimono, a good-bye present from Mrs. Maslin. Just the loveliest thingto wear to the dressing-room, thought Rosanna, revelling in its deepcolor and beautiful handwork. The girls worked swiftly, and before UncleBob returned for dinner everything was ready, even to Rosanna's coat andhat and gloves and little change purse. She had put on her plain pongeetraveling dress, fine cotton stockings that exactly matched her brownoxfords with their sensible low heels, and looked every inch awell-dressed traveler. Everything was simple and there were no tag ends,ribbons or floating lace collars to get mussed and untidy.
After dinner Uncle Bob excused himself to attend to some last things,and Claire and Rosanna returned to the rooms. There was an empty-lookingspot where Rosanna's trunk had stood. Rosanna gave a last look at herthings on the bed. Hat, coat, gloves, purse, suitcase; all there.
"Oh, _do_ come into the sitting-room!" cried Claire. "Everything is asall right as you can make it. Dad and Mr. Horton will be coming inbefore you know it, and there is something I want to tell you."
"Something nice?" asked Rosanna, following Claire into the sitting-room,and curling up in the big armchair she had wheeled around to face itsmate.
"I hope so," said Claire with a queer little smile. "Now, Rosanna, Iwant you to promise on your Scout Honor that you will not interrupt me."
"Word of honor!" promised Rosanna.
"Remember!" warned Claire. "Well, there was once a girl, a Girl Scout,who was very troubled and unhappy. And she had a _perfectly horrid_disposition and every time she went into a tantrum or had the blues sheexcused herself by thinking that because her dear mother was thought tobe insane, she was going to be so too, and she never tried to controlherself. She wouldn't make friends, and 'most _hated_ other girlsbecause she thought they were so much luckier than she was. Oh, Rosanna,she treated her darling daddy just awfully. She feels so ashamed whenshe thinks of it."
Rosanna opened her mouth, but Claire laid her hand over it.
"Remember!" she warned. "So she met, through the Girl Scouts, a girl whotried to be her friend. And the bad, sad girl grew to see how muchbetter it was to be gentle and keep her temper under control. Then oneday Rosanna--for that was the nice girl's name--discovered the reasonwhy this girl's mother was sick and why her poor head had gone wrong.She found out why Claire's mother could not speak or remember anythingand why she sat all day and stared and stared into space, and never knewher little girl any more.
"Well, anyway, now Claire's mother is _well_, all _well_, and just assweet and bright and loving as ever, and _so_ happy! But surely not sohappy as Claire is to have her mother back.
"And once, Rosanna, a wise old man who must have looked into the future,gave Claire a gold box to give to the one who should give to Claire a'gift beyond price.' My mother is that, Rosanna. The Mandarin's box isyours!"
Claire drew a packet from her pocket and laid it in Rosanna's lap.Rosanna clasped her hands over it. "Oh, Claire!" was all she could sayat first. Then, "But it was the doctor's operation that cured her; itbelongs to him."
Claire shook her red head and smiled. "No, it is yours by rights. Allthe doctors failed to discover the injury to her head. The box is yours,dear, dear Rosanna! Open it and see what the old Mandarin has hiddenthere."
Rosanna undid the paper and exclaimed over the wonderful carven casket.But Claire urged her to open the box, and with a nail file Rosanna brokethe fine cords that held the seal. She pressed the tiny knob on thefront, and the glittering cover sprang open. A little object wrapped insilk lay inside. It proved to be a queer carved figure seated on a sortof stool. It was exquisitely colored and overlaid in parts with goldleaf, and the funny brown face wore a beaming smile. A large cloak ofgold leaf enveloped it, and this had a ruby set in the front like alarge clasp.
"I know that figure," said Claire. "It is the god of good luck. I can'tremember his name."
"See the way that cunning cloak or robe is fastened with a jewel," saidRosanna, fingering the ruby. There was a little click, and the cloakparted and flew open, disclosing in the unexpected hiding-place anothersmall carved box.
With trembling fingers Rosanna opened it. There, inside, rested the mateto the beautiful jade ring that Claire always wore.
"Oh, how lovely! How perfectly lovely!" cried Rosanna. "Just like yours!Oh, I have always almost envied you that gorgeous ring."
"If it is like mine, there is another surprise in store for you," saidClaire, taking the jewel in her hands and pressing on the stone with aswift turning motion. Sure enough the stone raised on tiny hiddensprings, and disclosed an opening or socket about the size of a silverthree-cent piece. "What is that for?" asked Rosanna.
"We don't know, but dad thinks these rings are royal, and this place wasmade for a single dose of poison to be concealed in case the wearer wasgoing to be tortured or something like that. But I don't like to thinkof anything so horrid. I keep mother's picture in mine." She opened thering, and showed a tiny colored miniature of her mother.
"It is too perfect!" sighed Rosanna.
"There is one thing I hope you will never forget, Rosanna," said Claire,"and that is why the Mandarin gave you the box. Just to thank you, youknow, because you have given me a gift beyond price. This is what hascome of your sacrifice. I wish I could tell the old Mandarin about it."
"I will if I see him," laughed Rosanna.
Just as the train started off with Uncle Bob and Rosanna, Claire threwher arms around Rosanna's neck and whispered, "Oh, Rosanna, you _do_know that I love you, and thank you with every breath, don't you?"
"You thank me too much, dear Claire," said Rosanna, "and I love youtoo."
The whistle blew, the conductor waved his arms and called, "All aboard!"Rosanna threw kisses after Colonel Maslin and Claire as they fellbehind. They rolled slowly out of the city. Night fell. Thewhite-jacketed porter went up and down the aisle looking his chargesover. He pounced on Rosanna's hat and put it in a paper bag. Rosannascarcely noticed. Nothing about her seemed real. The jarring train, thelights, the people, all seemed like a dream. Yet it was real, and she,Rosanna, was moving eastward, ever eastward to her grandmother, to Cita,to dear Helen, and the Ports of the World!
THE END
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