anything about them before, and Lutie never opened her lips. If I thought anything about them at all, I supposed they were all well and hearty and everyone with a good job and thrifty. Lutie looks that way. What’s this thing you’re going to tonight?”
“Why, when she was singing that happy little song the other day, I asked her where she got it. She told me about a class where they study the Bible and learn to be glad even when there’s trouble. I said I would go with her sometime.”
“So she’s that kind, is she? Well, I’m glad. Now, here’s the doctor’s, and I’ll just run in and give him his orders. I’m hoping he isn’t full up every hour today with operations or something. I’d hate to go back on my word.”
A few minutes later she was back.
“He’s going to see them at three o’clock. It’s the best he can do. He’s very busy. But I told him all about them, and he promised me he’d do his best to put them all back in normal health again. Now, Sherrill, what did I do with the card Lutie wrote that mortgage company’s address on? I want to stop and see my lawyer a minute and get him to fix that up, and then we can go home and rest awhile. We’ve done a big piece of work.”
“A wonderful piece of work,” mused Sherrill. “Oh,
Aunt Pat! You’ve done more with your life than any woman I know!”
“Fiddlesticks end!” said Aunt Pat scornfully. “I’ve not done the half that I should. Now, Sherrill, while I’m seeing my lawyer I’d like you to do a little shopping for those people if you will. They’ll need things to go to the hospital with, dressing gowns and robes and things, and decent suitcases to carry them in. I want them to be comfortable while they are there. That poor woman doesn’t look as if she’s had a day’s rest since she was born, and I mean she shall have. Get her a real pretty robe, and brushes and things. Nice pretty ones. She likes pretty things, I’m sure. Look at the way they’ve fixed up that old ramshackle house with just plants and vines. Not even paint! I’ll give you the money, and you get the necessary things. And I’m glad you’re going to that Bible class. There are a lot of things in the Bible I don’t understand, but I believe it from cover to cover, and I’d like to know more about it. I’m too old to study now, but you’re not, and you can tell me all about it.”
When they got home they found a stack of mail awaiting them. Notes of commiseration and protest from the people who had received their wedding gifts back again. Some letters, intended to cheer up Sherrill in her lonely estate of maidenhood, which made her very angry. A few giving her loving wishes from far-off friends who hadn’t yet heard of the change in the wedding arrangements.
She looked up listlessly from her lap full of letters and gave a deep sigh. How much more worthwhile was the world of helpfulness to which she had just been with her aunt, than this social world built around such an unstable foundation. She could sense through all these elaborate phrases that some of her old friends and playmates actually thought less of her because she had allowed herself to be washed up on the shore of maidenhood again, after she had once landed a man and gotten so far as wedding invitations.
Aunt Pat looked up sharply at the second sigh and handed over a letter.
“Well,” she said triumphantly, “they haven’t put your emeralds on the market yet, whoever it was that took them. Of course there has hardly been time for anybody to get them to Europe. But if they attempt it, it won’t be long before we know who did it.”
“Aunt Pat!” said Sherrill in astonishment. “Then you have done something about it after all!”
“Why, of course, child! You didn’t think I was a fool, did you? I called up the private detective who was here at the wedding and had a talk with him. He’s been quietly watching all the places where they would be likely to be put on the market. They’re all registered stones, you know. Any jewel dealer of repute will be on the watch for them. Sooner or later they would have to turn up at the right place to