CHAPTER XIII
Rosanna sank feebly down on the hall bench, and to her own surprise andUncle Robert's dismay burst into tears.
"Well, who next?" said Uncle Robert. "Mrs. Harter crying in the sink,and you weeping all over our nice hall. Oh dear, what a wet, wet world!"
"Oh, don't mind me," said Rosanna, choking back her sobs. "I amperfectly happy, only everything turns out so differently fromeverything else!"
"I suppose you are right," granted Uncle Robert. "You must be if youknow what you mean."
"I am not sure _what_ I mean," said Rosanna, "but I am so glad, glad,_glad_ that you are going to marry that dear darling Miss Hooker insteadof that high nosed madam!"
"What are you talking about?" demanded Robert. "High nosed? Who is she?"
"I think it is someone Minnie made up," said Rosanna. "She said what ashame if she married you."
"Well, she didn't and won't," declared Uncle Robert with conviction."And as far as _nose_ goes, my girl has only enough nose so that oneknows it _is_ a nose. Get that, Rosanna?"
Rosanna giggled. "Have you told grandmother?" she asked.
Uncle Robert looked suddenly sobered.
"No, I didn't, and I should have done so first and I meant to, and it isall your fault, Rosanna."
"How so?" asked Rosanna in surprise.
"Well, if it hadn't been for you I would never have been traipsing overthe country on errands for the Girl Scouts and you wouldn't have beenwaiting for me in the hall, and I wouldn't have been so fussed at seeingyou that I would forget to tell my mamma first. And she won't like itunless she gets told right quick," added Uncle Robert, getting up.Rosanna wiped her eyes, whereupon Uncle Robert sang:
"There, little girlie, don't you cry, We'll have a wedding by and by,"
and ran up the stairs, three at a time, whistling as he went in searchof his mother.
Uncle Robert was not one to take chances. After seeing his mother, whowas truly pleased and had the good sense to show it, he started to Mrs.Hargrave's, and after a short visit left that dear old lady busy at thetelephone. The result was a wonderful announcement luncheon a weeklater, given by Mrs. Hargrave, at which the little Captain lookeddimplier and sweeter than ever. After the luncheon she went over toRosanna's house, where she found all her Girl Scouts ready tocongratulate her.
"You won't give us up, will you?" they all asked anxiously, and sheassured them that she would not. Seeing that they were really anxious,she made them all sit down close around her, and one by one they sangthe Scout songs. They were happier after that, and only Rosanna was justa little lonely when she thought of the days when Uncle Robert was away,and reflected that all the days would be like that by-and-by. Just hergrandmother and herself in the great stately old house, not occupyinghalf of the rooms, and making so little noise that it made her lonelyjust to think of it. However, she put it out of her mind as bravely asshe could.
Miss Hooker stayed to dinner, and Mrs. Horton was so charming thatRosanna could not help thinking what a very lovely young lady she musthave been. After dinner, Mrs. Horton calmly carried her little guestaway to her own sitting-room for what she called a consultation, andRosanna and Uncle Robert who had nothing whatever to consult about now,sat and read. Upstairs, Mrs. Horton sat down opposite her son'ssweetheart, and said smilingly:
"I want to say something to you that Robert does not dream I am going tosay, and if you do not approve, I want you to be frank enough and braveenough to tell me. Will you?"
"Yes, indeed I will," Miss Hooker promised.
"I am an old woman, my dear, and silent. Sometimes I fear I am not veryagreeable. It is a hard and unchildlike life that our little Rosannaleads here with me. I want you to ask yourself if for her sake you couldbring yourself to live here for a few years. I know how dear a newlittle house is to a bride's heart, and I tremble to ask you such afavor. But Rosanna has a lonely life at best, and with you here thishouse could be made gay indeed.
"I would never ask it for myself, but I do for Rosanna. I would gladlydo anything I could for her, but I cannot fill the house with the sortof joy and gayety that she should have. She loves you deeply, and herUncle Robert is her ideal.
"Wait a moment, dear," she added as she saw her guest was about tospeak. "I want to tell you what we could do. There are nine large roomson this floor. You could select what you want for a suite, and you andRobert could decorate and furnish and arrange them to suit yourselves. Iwould be so glad to do this just as you wish, and then of course, mydear, the house is all yours besides. Could you consider it?"
"I don't have to consider it," said the little Captain. "I have alreadythought about it, and was worried about Rosanna, but I knew that shecould not come to us and leave you all alone here. I am sure Bob will beglad to arrange it as you suggest, for he is very devoted to his motherand to Rosanna as well."
Mrs. Horton gave a sigh of relief. "I can't thank you enough, my dearestgirl," she said. "No one wants to make your life as happy as I do, andif there is anything I can ever do for you, you have only to tell me.Now we must have everything new in the rooms you want, so we will godown and tell Robert and Rosanna. How glad that child will be!"
Rosanna was tired and very nervous, and when Mrs. Horton and Miss Hookercame down with their great plan, Rosanna once more, to her own horror,commenced to cry.
"Well, for goodness' sake," her uncle cried, "I never _did_ see anythinglike this! What ails the child? This certainly settles me! I shallnever, never plan to get married again. Rosanna is turning into aregular _founting_; yes, ma'am, a regular _founting_!"
"Oh, I am so sorry--no, I mean I am so _glad_," said Rosanna.
"You mean you are all tired out, and ought to go to bed," said hergrandmother.
"And if I am to come here to live," said Robert's sweetheart, dimpling,"I may as well see how I shall like putting a girl in her little bed."
Rosanna, nearly as tall as the little lady, laughed through her tears.She went over and kissed her uncle good-night.
"I am sorry I was so silly," she whispered. "I was _so_ lonely when Ithought you were going away that somehow when I found you were not, why,I just couldn't help myself."
"I know how you felt. It is all right, sweetness," Uncle Robertwhispered back. Rosanna's clasp tightened round his neck.
"Uncle Robert, shall I--do you suppose--will I be your sweetness justthe same even after you are married?"
Uncle Robert kissed her hard. "Before and after, and forever and evermore!" he said. "Just as soon as I get to be a sober married man, Ishall be your uncle and your daddy too, and you are going to be thehappiest little girl in the world."
"Oh, Uncle Robert!" was all Rosanna could say, but her look thanked himand tears were very near his own eyes as he watched the little orphanedgirl skipping off with her arm around the shoulders of his future wife.But they were tears of happiness.
"Don't you love this room, Captain?" asked Rosanna, as she switched onthe soft flood of light.
"Indeed I do!" said Miss Hooker. "I expect to spend a great deal of mytime here. Between us, Rosanna, we ought to be able to plan the mostwonderful things for our Scout troop. And next summer Bob says he willfind a place for us to camp, and fit us out with tents and all that, sowe will not have to go to a boarding-house or hotel, but stay right inthe open. Won't that be splendid?"
"Think of it!" said Rosanna. "Won't the girls be wild when they hearabout it? Oh, dear, I wish I was eighteen so I could be a lieutenant!"
"I don't wish you were eighteen," said Miss Hooker. "I like you just asyou are."
"Oh, Miss Hooker, you are _so_ sweet!" said Rosanna.
Miss Hooker dimpled. "One thing we had better settle right now," shesaid. "What are you going to call me?"
Rosanna looked blank. "I hadn't thought about that at all. Of course Ican't go on calling you Miss Hooker, and then Mrs. Horton. And you aretoo little and too young to be anybody's aunt."
Miss Hooker watched her with a smile.
"What are yo
u going to do about it then? I want you to call me just whatyou like. You are to choose."
"Then I will tell you what," said Rosanna brightly. "I was reading thesweetest little story the other day about a Spanish family, and theycalled each other _Cita_. It means _dear_."
"_Cita_," repeated Miss Hooker. "Why, I think that is just as sweet asit can be, and I should love to have you call me that."
"Then that is what you are, little Cita," said Rosanna with a kiss. Andto her devoted household, Cita she remains to this very day.
Cita and Uncle Robert did not seem able to agree on a date for theirwedding. Cita declared that it would take at least six or eight monthsto get what she mysteriously called her "things" together. Uncle Robertdeclared with equal fervor that she had everything she needed, and thatthey were not going to go off and live on a desert isle where there wereno shops.
Finally Uncle Robert had an inspiration. "I tell you what let's do," hesaid after a long argument. "Let's leave this to an outsider: someonewith no special interest in the affair. And as a business man, I willname the agent."
"Very well," said Cita. "See that you play fair."
"I name and nominate Miss Rosanna Horton, and as her aids and assistantsI name and nominate Miss Helen Culver and Miss Elise Hargrave."
"That is not playing fair at all!" cried Cita. "You know perfectly wellthat they want us to be married soon."
Robert shook his head. "Not at all! Our marriage is detrimental to thosepersons named, insomuch as I shall take you off on a wedding trip, andby so doing shall interfere with the routine of work in your Scouttroop. That is a good committee, and I shall trust them. I shall nowcall them in."
The three girls were working in the Scout room on the tarletonstockings, filling and tying them. Robert stepped to the door andsummoned them. Putting the question before them in the most seriousmanner, he told them that they were to decide.
"I should think I ought to decide my _own_ wedding day!" cried Cita.
"You don't seem able to do it," said Robert. "You have been trying todecide for the last ten days. You see it is a business proposition withme. Perhaps if these good, kind young ladies succeed in fixing a weddingday, say before Christmas, I won't have to buy you any Christmaspresent."
"I don't _want_ to be married before Christmas," wailed Cita, lookingappealingly at the girls.
Rosanna nodded her head understandingly, and the three girls left theroom.
"When will we set it?" asked Helen. "Do they really mean that we are todo so?"
"Tell him we have decided on the fifteenth of February," said Rosanna."That is the date she has fixed, but he is such a tease that she hasbeen teasing him in return. That will give her all the time she needs,and she won't be all tired out. Everyone loves her, and wants to dothings for her and, besides, it is going to take weeks to get thoserooms fixed. I never saw grandmother so fussy over anything before. Sheis going clear to New York and is going to take Cita to select hangings,and she has an artist friend selecting pictures; that is, a list forCita to look over. Grandmother wants every last thing to be Cita's ownselection. And, girls, it is going to be _too_ lovely. What do youthink? You know those ceilings are about twenty feet high, andgrandmother has had them all lowered with plaster board and beams, so itlooks so much cozier. Grandmother is really splendid. I never loved herso much."
"Are you almost ready to report?" demanded Uncle Robert at the door.
"All ready!" said Helen as the committee went skipping in.
"Well, let's hear the verdict," said Uncle Robert. "If this committee isas sensible as it looks, I expect to hear them say that the date is setfor next week Tuesday."
"The fifteenth of February," said Rosanna firmly.
A look of relief spread over Cita's face.
"Wha-a-a-t?" said Uncle Robert. "Impossible! Why, _I_ named thiscommittee and by all the rules of politics you should have brought inthe report I want."
"But it wouldn't have been fair," said Rosanna.
"What has that to do with politics?" groaned Uncle Robert. "All right! Ihave been done up; sold out, and by my own constituents. The fifteenthof February it is. But don't you dare to make it a day later, youngladies!" He rose.
"Where are you going?" asked Rosanna.
"Where?" said Uncle Robert, with a twinkle in his eye. "_You_ ask mewhere? Well, I am going to drag myself downtown to get that Christmaspresent."
"And now," said Cita after he had gone, "now don't let's think ofweddings or anything else but our Scout work. Things have been dragginglately, and I think it is my fault. If we do not do better and snappierwork right away, I will know it is my fault, and I shall give the troopover to someone else. Engaged girls have no business trying to run atroop."
"Don't say that, Cita," said Rosanna. "We have all been working so hardfor Christmas that I think we have no energy left."
"Possibly," said Cita, "but we must put things pretty well in order atthe next meeting, and before then I want all these Christmas thingsmarked and in their proper baskets. That meeting, the last before theholidays, will be an important one."
"Then let us go to work merrilee," said Elise, picking up a stocking,and letting a gumdrop slide down into the toe.