“But we’ve done something,” Gloria said. “This is at least an attempt at reparation. Poor little Aunt Lottie! That her money should have worked such misery!”
The big car swung into the lane again, and the round capable face of Mrs. Berg was unmistakably in the group that peered out as they came.
Just how the final arrangements were made no one could tell, for confusion developed into veritable Bedlam. But the two girls willingly enough found their own places in the car, while Jane delayed to make sure that Marty would go over to Logan Center, first thing next morning. Mrs. Berg, fortified with a ten dollar bill from Trixy, had agreed to give up her place at cooking for some overburdened farm woman, and stay with the Gorman children until their mother “was cured.” She also added that crowning feat of wonder—she would notify the absent Mr. Gorman.
“’Tain’t no bother a’tall,” she smiled. “Joe Smith goes into Franklin with his team every mornin’.”
Marty clung to the car until Jennings warned him with the hum of the engine. Then he called out to Gloria:
“Good-bye!” and the little faces faded away in the softening eventide.
Jane was too overcome to speak. But she finally did gasp: “That baby!”
“Mrs. Berg will take good care of it,” Gloria assured her, sinking down comfortably against the familiar shoulder.
“But I want to know,” spoke up Trixy, “what was the date you made with Marty?”
“Oh,” faltered Gloria, betraying real confusion. “He promised to show me around a little.”
“Oh yes,” retorted Trixy. “Out around Echo Park?”
“Yes,” assented Gloria, and then the question was mercifully changed to matters Jane could comprehend.
She was promptly told about Mrs. Towers’ sudden illness, but her own knowledge of that woman’s nerves offset any show of surprise at this.
“But don’t you get excited, Glo,” warned Trixy. “You have had enough excitement for one day, I’ll testify.”
This advice, however, could not possibly forestall Gloria’s excitement when she was actually confronted with her Aunt Hattie’s condition a short time later.
Jane and Trixy kept in the background, preferring to wait in the living room, while Gloria, in spite of an officious person called Martha Drake, made her way directly to her aunt’s room.
