you?"

"Yes," said Rosemary who, she had once told her mother, always felt as
though Mrs. Hildreth's sharp eyes condemned her as lazy. "We all love
to be out of doors."

"I'm outdoors most of the time," said Mrs. Hildreth, "but I don't have
time to sit on the porch, unless it is Sunday afternoons."

She went back to her work and Rosemary, returning from delivering the
asparagus to Winnie, found her mother and an immaculate Sarah and
Shirley entertaining Doctor Hugh. He brought the car around presently
and they went for the promised drive to Bennington, the pretty county
seat, and back.

After dinner that evening Rosemary, quite restored to good humor, was
surprised to have a question put to her.

"How would you like to try sleeping outdoors to-night, Rosemary?" asked
Doctor Hugh placidly.

CHAPTER IX

ONE WISH COMES TRUE

Rosemary answered her brother's question characteristically.

"Oh, Hugh! I'd love to."

"Well, don't tell Sarah or Shirley," he cautioned, "because I don't
want a riot--wait till they have gone to bed and then at nine o'clock,
if you really want to try the experiment, you may."

"Won't Mother care?" asked Rosemary doubtfully.

"I've talked it over with Mother, and she is willing to let you try the
plan while I am here," said the doctor. "It is a clear warm night and
too early in the season for heavy dews, so there could not be a better
time. You'd find it harder to go to sleep if there were a moon, so
that's in your favor, too."

"I wouldn't want to sleep outdoors on a moonlight night," declared
Rosemary decidedly. "Old Fiddlestrings--Warren says everyone calls him
that--would be walking up and down the road, playing the 'Serenade.'
I'd rather sleep outdoors in the dark--as soon as you are used to it,
it isn't dark at all and I love to see the stars."

It seemed to Rosemary that Sarah and Shirley must have turned back the
hands of the clock to delay their bed hour. They monopolized their
brother, seated on either side of him in the porch swing while the
summer dusk slowly deepened and Mrs. Willis rested in the big chair
which had an arm strong and broad enough to hold Rosemary who knitted
with outward calm and inward fever. Were those children never going to
bed?

Winnie had gone over to the bungalow with Mrs. Hildreth, who was
delighted to have someone with whom to exchange household lore, and
Warren and Richard had tactfully betaken themselves to Bennington,
knowin