er Rosemary was giving as
much time as usual to the piano."

"Oh, let her slow up this kind of weather, if she wants to,"
responded the doctor lazily. "I think she's stuck pretty faithfully
to the scales and finger exercises myself."

Rosemary flashed him a grateful look.

"Of course I don't want to find fault," said Aunt Trudy to this,
"but you know I feel responsible. And Winnie was saying this morning
that Sarah and Shirley are left too much to themselves."

"Oh, that's all right," declared Sarah hastily and Shirley echoed,
"Yes, that's all right."

Doctor Hugh laughed and even Rosemary smiled faintly. How could she
explain that she had no time left from the babies in the afternoon
to spend with the little sisters, or that the reason her music was
showing neglect was because her morning practise hours were given
over to the odds and ends of duties she dared not leave undone for
fear of comment and question and now had no other time to do?

"I imagine Sarah and Shirley amuse themselves," said the doctor,
smiling, "but Rosemary dear, I don't want you to get in the habit of
being out of the house too much. Three afternoons I've called you up
and you weren't home."

Doctor Hugh wondered if Nina Edmonds was absorbing Rosemary's
attention again, but he thought it wiser not to ask. As a matter of
fact, had he but known it, the voluble Nina had been away at the
seashore for several weeks.

"Well, all I can say," remarked Aunt Trudy after a pause, "is that I
hope, Rosemary, your sense of duty will be strong enough to cause
you to pay a little attention to the children while I am away. I am
going to-morrow morning to spend two days with my cousin, you know,
Hugh. She is sailing for London, Wednesday."

"Yes, you told me," acknowledged the doctor. "We'll manage all
right, Aunt Trudy. Rosemary will keep us all in order."

But in spite of his cheerful faith, Aunt Trudy departed the next
morning "worried to death" as she confided to Winnie.

"I have a feeling that Sarah and Shirley will get into some
mischief, the minute my back is turned," declared the good lady.
"And Rosemary will be mooning around and not catch them until it is
too late."

Aunt Trudy's doleful prediction proved only too true. That very
afternoon, when Rosemary left to take care of the Simmons baby while
his proud mother attended the fortnightly meeting of her card club,
Sarah and Shirley decided to sail boats in the bath-tub.
Unfortunately, whe