The Adopting of Rosa Marie: (A Sequel to Dandelion Cottage)Rankin, Carroll Watson
General
The Adopting of Rosa Marie: (A Sequel to Dandelion Cottage)
Rankin, Carroll Watson
Abandoned children -- Juvenile fiction; Humanitarianism -- Juvenile fiction; Toddlers -- Care -- Juvenile fiction
"Oh, Mrs. Crane," Henrietta had cried, on beholding the little brown
person in buckskin and feathers, "do let me telephone for James to
bring the carriage so I can take Rosa Marie to our house and show her
to my Grandmother. I'll take the very best of care of her. And all four
of the girls can come with her, so she won't be afraid."
"Oh, _do_," pleaded the others.
"Well, it's mild out to-day," returned Mrs. Crane, glancing out the
window, "and a little fresh air won't hurt her. I guess her coat will
go on right over these fixings and I can tie a veil over her head.
You'll find a telephone in the library, on Mr. Black's desk."
Half an hour later, the six youngsters, carefully tucked between
splendid fur robes, were on their way to Mrs. Slater's.
"I have a perfectly heavenly plan," said Henrietta, her black eyes
sparkling with impishness. "Want to hear it?"
"Of course we do," encouraged the Cottagers.
"You see," explained Henrietta, "a large box came from Father this
morning. It hasn't been opened yet; but Greta and Simmons don't know
that. I'm going to make them think that Rosa Marie is what came in that
box--it's time I cheered them up a little, for Simmons has lost some
money he had in the bank and Greta is homesick for the old country.
Will you help?"
"Ye-es," promised Jean, doubtfully, "if you're not going to hurt
anybody's feelings."
"Shan't even scratch one," assured Henrietta. "Now, when we reach the
house, I'll slip around to the basement door with Rosa Marie--the cook
will let us in--and you must ring the front-door bell because that will
take Simmons out of the way while I get up the back stairs. Ask for
Grandmother, and I'll come down and get you when I'm ready."
So the girls asked for Mrs. Slater--every one of them now liked the
entertaining old lady very much indeed--and chatted with her merrily
until Henrietta came running down the stairs.
"Grannie," asked the lively girl, pressing her warm red cheek against
Mrs. Slater's much paler one, "would you like to be amused? Would you
like to be a black conspirator and humble your most haughty servitor to
the dust? Then you must ascend to my haunted den and not say a single
word for at least five minutes. Come on, girls."
In Henrietta's oddly furnished room there were two large East Indian
gods and one heathen goddess. Henrietta had managed to group these
interesting, Oriental figures in one corner of the spacious chamber,
with appropriate drapings behind them. Near them she had placed an
empty packing case, oblong in shape and plastered with curious, foreign
labels. It looked as if it were waiting to be carried away to the
furnace room or some such place.
Darkening her bedroom and her dressing room, she placed her obliging
grandmother and her four friends behind the heavy portières.
"You can peek round the edges," said she, "but you mustn't be seen or
heard or even suspected."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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