ng on her own street.

"Yes indeed I've been able to go away an afternoon or two a week,"
babbled Mrs. Dunning, "something I haven't done since Baby came.
Your niece is such a nice child and so reliable. I wanted her this
afternoon, but Mrs. Hepburn had engaged her first."

"My niece? Mrs. Hepburn engaged her?" repeated Aunt Trudy faintly.

Mrs. Dunning explained and Aunt Trudy managed to keep from fainting
though as she told Doctor Hugh afterward, she would never know how
the strength was given her. She looked nearer to apoplexy than
fainting when she walked into the house a half hour later and,
purple-faced and choking, demanded to be told the instant the doctor
came in.

Doctor Hugh and his car rolled up a few moments later and Aunt Trudy
sobbed out the "miserable story" as she characterized it.

"To think of Rosemary, acting as a nurse-maid, and we never knew
it!" she wailed. "What would her mother say? What must the neighbors
think?"

"Bother the neighbors!" said Doctor Hugh testily. "When Rosemary
comes home tell her I want to see her."

Though his aunt did not suspect it, he had seldom been as angry in
his life. Not only had Rosemary deliberately defied him and gone off
that afternoon, but she had most certainly furnished topic for
gossip in Eastshore for it was not possible in so small a town that
her occupation had been unnoticed. And Doctor Hugh was very proud of
his pretty sister. What could have possessed the child to do such a
wild thing?

He had himself in hand by the time Rosemary came running in, late,
for Mrs. Hepburn had been delayed and nothing could have induced the
young worker to desert her charge.

"Your brother wants you--he's in the office," said Aunt Trudy
stiffly.

And as soon as she saw Hugh the most awful sinking sensation went
through Rosemary. He had found out, how, she could not guess, but
somehow, that was plain.

CHAPTER XIII

JACK STRAIGHTENS THINGS OUT

"You--you wanted to see me Hugh?" Rosemary faltered.

"Please come in and close the door," he said quietly. Then as she
obeyed, "Now what is this Mrs. Dunning has been telling Aunt Trudy,
Rosemary? Have you been taking care of babies in the neighborhood
for fifteen cents an hour?"

Rosemary nodded.

"How long has this been going on?" asked her brother.

"A--a couple of weeks," answered Rosemary faintly.

"What was the idea?"

Rosemary said nothing.

"I asked you a question, Rosemary. Please answer m