"Now I must be off," he said, glancing at his watch. "Where is Rosemary? I thought I'd take her with me this morning--the ride will do her good. Practising?" he repeated as Sarah called his attention to the sound of finger exercises. "Let her practise this afternoon--she needs to get away from a fixed schedule now and then." Rosemary enjoyed this ride and the others that followed in quick succession. Doctor Hugh, unknown to her, was realizing that every one had been expecting too much of the oldest daughter of the house, had looked to her, in fact, to grow up in one summer. "Poor little kid!" thought the doctor one morning, as he allowed Rosemary to take the wheel of the car on a level stretch of clear road and the color came into her face from the excitement and delight. "Poor little kid, we've been expecting her to have the patience and wisdom and experience Mother has. She's only twelve years old and we ask her to act like a woman. She's bound to make mistakes, but she won't make the same one twice--I'll bank on that. Temper and will, rightly directed, make for strength, and Rosemary will be as lovely within some day as she is to the eye--and my sister is going to be a beauty, or I miss my guess." Aloud he said, "Watch the road, Rosemary. Never mind what is behind you, watch the road ahead." Coming in at noon from one of these rides with Doctor Hugh, Rosemary found a small box, wrapped in white tissue paper and tied with pink string, at her plate. "It looks like a jeweler's box," she said jokingly as she opened it. "Why it is!" she added in surprise. Sarah and Shirley crowded around her as she opened it. A little gold "friendship" circle pin, set with a single turquoise, lay on a bed of blue cotton. "How perfectly lovely!" cried Rosemary. "Is it mine?" "Of course it is," said Sarah. "Jack and Shirley and I went to Mr. Evans and bought it for you. Do you like it?" "Why it's darling," the enthusiastic Rosemary assured her. "I never saw a prettier pin. Look, Hugh, look Aunt Trudy," she said eagerly, holding out the pin to them as they came in from the hall. "Why don't you ask where we got the money to buy it?" suggested Sarah and at that Doctor Hugh shouted with laughter. "You'll be the death of me yet, Sarah," he protested. "Sit down, people, do, and we'll begin luncheon while Sarah reveals her dark secret."