CHAPTER VII
As the play progressed Rosanna commenced to doubt her own senses. It didnot seem possible that she could have written anything so good and sointeresting.
When the act ended, there was a louder burst of applause than at anyother time, and to Rosanna's horror some one in the back of the roomcommenced to cry, "Author, author!" Rosanna did not realize at firstthat they meant her and was looking around the room with a great deal ofinterest when she felt both Mr. Harriman and Mr. Cosgrove pushing her toher feet. She stood up because they shoved her up, and she did not knowwhat to do next.
Then the most amazing thing of all happened.
Mr. Harriman rose to his feet and taking Rosanna firmly by the arm asthough she might dash off any instant, he started toward the threelittle steps at one side of the stage. Up these steps he sternly pilotedRosanna, while everyone in the room clapped and clapped again. All ofLouisville knew Mr. Harriman, and when everybody saw that _he_ wasescorting the little girl who had written the play, they sat quite stillto see what would happen next. When they reached the stage and stoodfacing the audience, someone called, "Speech, speech!" but that was'way, 'way beyond Rosanna, who was perfectly overcome anyway. She lookedpleadingly at Mr. Harriman, who knew what she meant, and took pity onher.
"Hum, grrrrrr," he commenced. "Ladies and gentlemen, this little lady,who is the author and producer of the play you have just seen, asks meto speak for her. She thanks you for your appreciation, and for the helpyou are giving to herself and these other generous Girl Scouts in theirefforts to assist a girl less fortunate than themselves. You have heardabout the little cripple who is to be benefited by the work of thesegirls, and I think we, the audience fortunate enough to be present atthis memorable occasion, will esteem it a pleasure to do what we cantoward making it possible for this little sufferer to obtain a possiblecure through a very serious and expensive operation. We thank you.Grrrrrr!" He _glared_ at Mr. Cosgrove and Mr. Bristol, and bowed.Rosanna dipped a hasty curtsey, and they went off the stage again aseverybody clapped and the music struck up the jolliest piece they knew.The entertainment was over!
Back with Mr. Cosgrove and Mr. Bristol, each old gentleman shook handswith Rosanna and started for the door, where Uncle Robert, intent on themost important part of all, sat at the table on which was a shoe boxwith a slot cut in the cover. He was smiling and beaming and saying,"Thank you!" over and over as people congratulated him on Rosanna'splay. Miss Hooker stood beside him looking so sweet and true and prettythat when Mr. Harriman came up and looked at her, and started to say"Grrrrrr," it actually sounded like a purr! He hastily shoved somethingwhite through the slot, and Mr. Cosgrove and Mr. Bristol followed him,looking very guilty.
Then Mr. Harriman turned back.
"Absolutely confidential, Horton! No newspapers!" he said.
"Absolutely, sir, and thank you," said Uncle Robert, bowing to thethree. He commenced to suspect something!
Miss Hooker stooped to whisper something to Robert. As soon as the lastperson had left the hall, he obeyed the whisper, and taking the preciousbox, which was sealed with red sealing wax where the cover went on, hewent behind the scenes. All the girls were there, as well as the signpainter and the two brothers. These three looked immensely relieved whena fourth member of their sex appeared. Mrs. Hargrave was there too, andshe was inviting everyone to walk over to her house and have somethingto eat. She said she believed it was customary after the firstpresentation of a play.
When some of the girls said they would have to go home with their folkson account of getting home with escort, Mrs. Hargrave at once added thatshe had arranged with Mrs. Horton to send the girls home in theirautomobiles.
So very soon they were all in Mrs. Hargrave's immense dining-room,sitting in chairs ranged round the room and being served chickenbouillon and sandwiches, and fruit salad, and olives, and cocoa, andice-cream with whipped cream on top. All they could eat of each thingtoo!
"I can't wait to see the inside of that box," said Mrs. Hargrave afterall the Girl Scouts and the sign painter and the two brothers had saidgood night and thank you, and had gone. "What if these children of ours_do_ have to sleep half the day tomorrow? Telephone your mother, MissHooker, that you are here with me, and that you will be home presently,and we will go into the library and watch Robert count the money. Andwhatever is lacking, when it comes to settling for that operation, Mrs.Horton and I intend to make up."
Robert Horton laughed.
"I have an idea that you are on the safe side of the bargain, dearlady," he said. "I think this box will surprise us."
"How much do you suppose is in it?" asked Miss Hooker as she started forthe telephone. "A hundred dollars?"
"Five hundred at the least," answered Uncle Robert.
Everybody started to hurry for the library at that as though the moneyin the box would have to be counted as rapidly as possible for fear itmight fly away.
Uncle Robert happened to sit beside Miss Hooker again, but Rosanna saton the other side. He cut the sealing wax and opened the box. There wasall sorts of silver money there _except nickels_! There was not onenickel. Dimes, quarters, fifty-cent pieces, and silver dollars, but nota nickel.
Uncle Robert placed the coins in neat piles, then he commenced to stackthe paper money. After he had done this, he sorted out five checks,which he laid by themselves quite respectfully, face down.
Then he drew out a pencil and paper and commenced to count. No onespoke. At the last, still keeping the faces of the five checks out ofsight, he added them in, covered the paper with his hand, and looked up.He seemed dazed.
"How much do you think?" he demanded.
"Don't make us guess, Robert," said his mother.
"Two thousand, two hundred and thirty-four dollars and twenty-fivecents," he said slowly.
"Impossible!" exclaimed Mrs. Hargrave sharply.
Miss Hooker gave a gasp. The girls, perfectly round-eyed, sat silent.
"There it is!" said Mr. Horton. "Mr. Bristol and Mr. Cosgrove each gavea check for five hundred dollars, and Mr. Harriman wrote his for fivehundred and fifty."
Mrs. Horton sniffed.
"Dick Harriman never gave twenty-five dollars to anything like this inhis life," she said.
"Well, here is his check," declared her son.
"So _that_ is where the fifty came in," said Rosanna, finding her voice.She repeated the conversation she had heard. Everybody laughed.
"Poor Dick!" said Mrs. Hargrave. "He doesn't feel well, and his bark isso bad that I doubt if anyone ever before stopped to see what his bitewas like until Rosanna tried. I reckon he is happier tonight than he hasbeen for a long while. He would think it was a great joke, too, tocajole Henry Bristol and Clinton Cosgrove into giving that money. Well,they can afford it many times over, so it will do them all good."
"Too bad Rick MacLaren isn't here," said Uncle Robert. "He has a sickpatient on hand, and couldn't come. I will tell him the first thing inthe morning."
"And these girls _must_ go to bed," said Mrs. Horton. "Are you going tostay with Rosanna, Helen?"
"I think I will just have to go home and tell mother and father about itif there is any way for me to get there," replied Helen.
"If Miss Hooker feels like the extra walk, we will take you on our wayto her house," said Uncle Robert eagerly.
"I would love it," said Miss Hooker obligingly.
Rosanna marvelled.
Miss Hooker lived blocks away from Helen, in the opposite direction, butas the older people said nothing, Rosanna kept silence. At all eventsthe benefit was over, and her Uncle Robert would no longer feel obligedto spend all his time with a mere girl, because no matter how lovely,Rosanna knew that he didn't care for girls.
A number of girls ranging in age from twelve to sixteen were busyrepeating in a number of homes that night just how they had felt atdifferent times during the evening, and explaining to less fortunatebrothers and sisters how good everything had tasted afterwards. AndSunday morning, a great man
y mothers had a difficult time getting theirGirl Scout daughters awake.
Rosanna had a long talk with Uncle Bob. She wanted to know what wasgoing to be done about the money.
"I have been thinking about that," said Uncle Robert. "I will put it inthe bank the first thing tomorrow morning. I shall put it in the officebank for safe keeping until then."
"Do you suppose it will take all of it for Gwenny's operation?" askedRosanna.
"No, I do not," Robert replied, "but of course Doctor Branshaw is a veryhigh priced specialist, and he sets his own fees."
"If he knew that Gwenny was a poor little girl and that the Girl Scoutswere taking care of her, I wonder if it would make any difference?"
Uncle Robert shook his head. "I don't believe I would ask a favor ofanyone, now that you have earned such a lot of money. Just go ahead andpay her way like good sports. At that, with the hospital charges andnurses paid, I think you may have a little left over. If we have, wewill have to find the best way to spend it for Gwenny. I want to consultwith Miss Hooker about it later if she is not too tired."
"Consult again! Oh, _poor_ Uncle Robert!" said Rosanna compassionately."I thought that was all over with."
"It is not as painful as you seem to think," said Uncle Robert dryly."At all events, my health is not breaking under the strain. I never knewyou to fuss so, Rosanna. Just what have you up your sleeve anyhow? Don'tyou like your Captain after all?"
"Oh, I perfectly _love_ her," cried Rosanna warmly. "You don't know howsweet she is, Uncle Robert! And she is such a good Captain. Every girlin the patrol loves her and will do anything in the world for her."
Seeing that Uncle Robert appeared to be listening, Rosanna went onwarming to her subject.
"At the Rally, I heard one of the ladies say that our Captain wasconsidered the best one in all the city. And she looks so young; justlike one of the girls when she gets into her Scout uniform. When we areon hikes, she runs around and plays with us and joins all our games. Oh,yes, Uncle Robert, I do love her dearly!"
"I don't know but what I do myself," admitted Uncle Robert unexpectedly.
"Why, Uncle _Robert_!" said Rosanna in a shocked tone. "What a thing foryou to say!"
Uncle Robert wondered if he had made a mistake. It was not the sort of aremark he would want repeated. So he made another mistake.
"Wasn't it? A joke, Rosanna; just a merry jest. Thought you would laughover it. Ha ha! Ha ha!"
"Ha ha!" repeated Rosanna to be agreeable. Sometimes Uncle Robert wasrather disappointing. "But she is lovely anyway, and has loads and loadsof friends, and, Uncle Robert, I think she has a sweetheart becauseboxes and boxes of flowers come to her, and she just keeps a little oneto wear, and sends all the rest to the hospital. And lovely books comeby mail and the fattest letters! One had poetry in it, too. I could tellby the shape of the writing down the page."
"Don't snoop, Rosanna," said Uncle Robert sharply.
"I didn't, Uncle Robert," said Rosanna in a hurt tone. "She was sittingclose to me on the sofa, and I couldn't help seeing. She liked it too,because she smiled so sweetly and showed all her dimples, even the onethat almost _never_ comes out."
"What a little ray of sunshine you are, Rosanna!" said her unclestrangely.
"Thank you; a Girl Scout _ought_ to be," replied Rosanna.
"Well, you are, all right, sweetness," said Uncle Robert. He sigheddeeply almost as though the ray of sunshine had not come his way at all.He kissed Rosanna and then sat her down rather hard in a deep chair. "Idon't know when I have felt so cheered up. And now, if you would like tocall the garage and order the little car for me, I will go around to seeDoctor MacLaren and tell him the good news of our fortune. And on secondthoughts, I don't believe I will have to consult with Miss Hooker atall. I think perhaps you are right. I have bothered her enough."
"She has been _very_ polite and kind about it all, hasn't she?" askedRosanna.
"Most polite and kind," Mr. Horton agreed. "But we don't want to wearher kindness out, do we, Rosanna? I will go see Rick, and in a day ortwo my part of this affair will be finished. And I won't have to botheranybody. I am thinking of a little trip out West, Rosanna. I wish youcould go with me."
"I wish I could!" said Rosanna, "but grandmother wouldn't want me toleave school, and besides I couldn't leave the Scouts just now. Where doyou think of going, Uncle Robert?"
"Nowhere in particular, unless--" he thought a moment. "It might be funto look up some place where they had never heard of the Girl Scouts."
"Perfectly splendid!" said Rosanna. "_That_ would be doing a good deed.You could tell the people about us, and start a patrol. I must tell MissHooker about this; she will think it is so nice of you. She appreciateskind acts, even if she doesn't like men."
"It is not worth mentioning, Rosanna," answered Uncle Robert. "Besides,I didn't have just that in mind. However, I hear the car and will leaveyou before--before I do anything I regret."
He went off, and Rosanna watched him through the window as he startedhis car. He was real jerky with it, and it sputtered and missed, andwent off with a leap.
"He is all tired out," thought Rosanna.