r mother is not
dead. I can't believe it. I won't believe it."

"She is," Rosie persisted. "I know she is. Oh, what shall I do?
Think how naughty I was! What shall I do?" She sobbed so
convulsively that Maida was frightened.

"Listen, Rosie," she said. "You don't _know_ your mother is dead.
And I for one don't believe that she is."

"But they said the same thing to you," Rosie protested passionately.

"I think it was because I was sick," Maida said after a moment in
which she thought the matter out. "They were afraid that I might die
if they told me the truth. But whether your mother is alive or dead,
the only way you can make up for being naughty is to be as good to
your Aunt Theresa as you can. Oh, Rosie, please go to school every
day."

"Do you suppose I could ever hook jack again?" Rosie asked bitterly.
She dried her eyes. "I guess I'll go home now," she said, "and see
if I can help Aunt Theresa with the supper. And I'm going to get her
to teach me how to cook everything so that I can help mother--if she
ever comes home."

The next day Rosie came into the shop with the happiest look that
she had worn for a long time.

"I peeled the potatoes for Aunt Theresa, last night," she announced,
"and set the table and wiped the dishes. She was real surprised. She
asked me what had got into me?"

"I'm glad," Maida approved.

"I asked her when mother was coming back and she said the same
thing, 'Next week, I think.'" Rosie's lip quivered.

"I think she'll come back, Rosie," Maida insisted. "And now let's
not talk any more about it. Let's come out to play."

Mindful of her own lecture on obedience to Rosie, Maida skipped home
the first time Granny rang the bell.

Granny met her at the door. Her eyes were shining with mischief.
"You've got a visitor," she said. Maida could see that she was
trying to keep her lips prim at the corners. She wondered who it
was. Could it be--

She ran into the living-room. Her father jumped up from the
easy-chair to meet her.

"Well, well, well, Miss Rosy-Cheeks. No need to ask how you are!" he
said kissing her.

"Oh papa, papa, I never was so happy in all my life. If you could
only be here with me all the time, there wouldn't be another thing
in the world that I wanted. Don't you think you could give up Wall
Street and come to live in this Court? You might open a shop too.
Papa, I know you'd make a good shop-keeper although it isn't so easy
as a lot of people think. But I'd tea