“You dear, silly man, of course I will. I am delighted that you have the chance of seeing your old friend, and there is no one I would rather entrust the violin to; you know that.” “Will you take the organ next Sunday, and will you forego your usual Saturday lesson?” “Of course. I have had my holiday, now you must take yours.” “Then say farewell to the violin, for I leave to-night. Don Pedro wants me to come at once, for the boy is going home to get nursed up after his illness and will be comforted by the new possession. I expect to be gone a week. Bessie will have a friend staying with her, but you will drop in once in a while, won’t you, to see how she is getting along?” Ellen promised. Then she took up the violin, held it close for a moment, reverently kissed it, handed it back to Mr. Todd, and with eyes full of tears, hurried from the church. It was a bigger sacrifice than she at first realized in her moment of exaltation, but it was done, and now to put aside sentimentality and turn to stern duty. She mopped her eyes, threw back her head, and marched steadily up street to the doctor’s, entering his office as he was preparing to leave. “Well, miss,” was his greeting, “where have you been gadding? I was just wondering if you would get back in time to go to the hospital with me.” “I went up home for a little while, and then I stopped in to see Mr. Todd at the church. He is going away to-night, and wants me to take the organ while he is gone.” “Old Jeremy going to have a holiday, is he? That’s good. Where’s he going?” “To the city to visit an old friend, and also to take my violin to the person who has bought it.” Ellen thought she might as well put a bold face upon the matter. “Your violin? Oh, yes, I did hear that you had one given you. Don’t you want to play on it yourself?” “I shall not have time for that and for the organ, too; besides, I don’t believe Cousin Rindy ever could stand hearing me squeaking out scales and exercises every day.” “Humph!” The doctor nodded thoughtfully. “Didn’t I hear something about it having belonged to your father?” Ellen’s lip trembled, and she did not trust herself to do more than nod affirmatively as the doctor shot her a keen glance. But she soon controlled herself and spoke steadily as she asked, “How long will it be before Cousin Rindy can leave the hospital?” “In about a couple of weeks, I should say, but don’t you worry any about that; she is better off there than she would be anywhere else, and the longer you make your visit to Caro the better she and the rest of us will like it.” “That’s mighty nice for you to say, but I know Cousin Rindy will be fretting till she gets back home; she does so hate to be idle.” “A good rest won’t hurt her, and as for you, it isn’t to be supposed that you can take on housekeeping and nursing, too.” “But I shall have to, for a while.” “We’ll see about that. Are you ready to go?”