"Brother Alec, you surely don't mean to allow that child to go outsuch a bitter cold day as this," said Mrs. Myra, looking into thestudy, where the Doctor sat reading his paper, one Februarymorning.

　　"Why not? If a delicate invalid like yourself can bear it, surely myhearty girl can, especially as she is dressed for cold weather,"answered Dr. Alec with provoking confidence.

　　"But you have no idea how sharp the wind is. I am chilled to thevery marrow of my bones," answered Aunt Myra, chafing the endof her purple nose with her sombre glove.

　　"I don't doubt it, ma'am, if you will wear crape and silk instead offur and flannel. Rosy goes out in all weathers, and will be none theworse for an hour's brisk skating.""Well, I warn you that you are trifling with the child's health, anddepending too much on the seeming improvement she has madethis year. She is a delicate creature for all that, and will drop awaysuddenly at the first serious attack, as her poor mother did,"croaked Aunt Myra, with a despondent wag of the big bonnet.

　　"I'll risk it," answered Dr. Alec, knitting his brows, as he alwaysdid when any allusion was made to that other Rose.

　　"Mark my words, you will repent it," and with that awful prophecy,Aunt Myra departed like a black shadow.

　　Now it must be confessed that among the Doctor's failings and hehad his share was a very masculine dislike of advice which wasthrust upon him unasked. He always listened with respect to thegreat-aunts, and often consulted Mrs. Jessie; but the other threeladies tried his patience sorely, by constant warnings, complaintsand counsels. Aunt Myra was an especial trial, and he alwaysturned contrary the moment she began to talk. He could not help it,and often laughed about it with comic frankness. Here now was asample of it, for he had just been thinking that Rose had betterdefer her run till the wind went down and the sun was warmer. ButAunt Myra spoke, and he could not resist the temptation to makelight of her advice, and let Rose brave the cold. He had no fear ofits harming her, for she went out every day, and it was a greatsatisfaction to him to see her run down the avenue a minuteafterward, with her skates on her arm, looking like a rosy-facedEsquimaux in her seal-skin suit, as she smiled at Aunt Myrastalking along as solemnly as a crow.

　　"I hope the child won't stay out long, for this wind is enough tochill the marrow in younger bones than Myra's," thought Dr. Alec,half an hour later, as he drove toward the city to see the fewpatients he had consented to take for old acquaintance' sake.

　　The thought returned several times that morning, for it was truly abitter day, and, in spite of his bear-skin coat, the Doctor shivered.

　　But he had great faith in Rose's good sense, and it never occurredto him that she was making a little Casabianca of herself, with thedifference of freezing instead of burning at her post.

　　You see, Mac had made an appointment to meet her at a certainspot, and have a grand skating bout as soon as the few lessons hewas allowed were over. She had promised to wait for him, and didso with a faithfulness that cost her dear, because Mac forgot hisappointment when the lessons were done, and became absorbed ina chemical experiment, till a general combustion of gases drovehim out of his laboratory. Then he suddenly remembered Rose,and would gladly have hurried away to her, but his mother forbadehis going out, for the sharp wind would hurt his eyes.

　　"She will wait and wait, mother, for she always keeps her word,and I told her to hold on till I came," explained Mac, with visionsof a shivering little figure watching on the windy hill-top.

　　"Of course, your uncle won't let her go out such a day as this. If hedoes, she will have the sense to come here for you, or to go homeagain when you don't appear," said Aunt Jane, returning to her"Watts on the Mind.""I wish Steve would just cut up and see if she's there, since I can'tgo," began Mac, anxiously.

　　"Steve won't stir a peg, thank you. He's got his own toes to thawout, and wants his dinner," answered Dandy, just in from school,and wrestling impatiently with his boots.

　　So Mac resigned himself, and Rose waited dutifully tilldinner-time assured her that her waiting was in vain. She had doneher best to keep warm, had skated till she was tired and hot, thenstood watching others till she was chilled; tried to get up a glowagain by trotting up and down the road, but failed to do so, andfinally cuddled disconsolately under a pine-tree to wait and watch.

　　When she at length started for home, she was benumbed with cold,and could hardly make her way against the wind that buffeted thefrost-bitten rose most unmercifully.

　　Dr. Alec was basking in the warmth of the study fire, after hisdrive, when the sound of a stifled sob made him hurry to the doorand look anxiously into the hall. Rose lay in a shivering bunchnear the register, with her things half off, wringing her hands, andtrying not to cry with the pain returning warmth brought to herhalf-frozen fingers.

　　"My darling, what is it?" and Uncle Alec had her in his arms in aminute.

　　"Mac didn't come I can't get warm the fire makes me ache!" andwith a long shiver Rose burst out crying, while her teeth chattered,and her poor little nose was so blue, it made one's heart ache to seeit.

　　In less time than it takes to tell it, Dr. Alec had her on the sofarolled up in the bear-skin coat, with Phebe rubbing her cold feetwhile he rubbed the aching hands, and Aunt Plenty made acomfortable hot drink, and Aunt Peace sent down her ownfoot-warmer and embroidered blanket "for the dear."Full of remorseful tenderness, Uncle Alec worked over his newpatient till she declared she was all right again. He would not lether get up to dinner, but fed her himself, and then forgot his ownwhile he sat watching her fall into a drowse, for Aunt Plenty'scordial made her sleepy.

　　She lay so several hours for the drowse deepened into a heavysleep, and Uncle Alec, still at his post, saw with growing anxietythat a feverish colour began to burn in her cheeks, that herbreathing was quick and uneven, and now and then she gave alittle moan, as if in pain. Suddenly she woke up with a start, andseeing Aunt Plenty bending over her, put out her arms like a sickchild, saying wearily"Please, could I go to bed?""The best place for you, deary. Take her right up, Alec; I've got thehot water ready, and after a nice bath, she shall have a cup of mysage tea, and be rolled up in blankets to sleep off her cold,"answered the old lady, cheerily, as she bustled away to give orders.

　　"Are you in pain, darling?" asked Uncle Alec, as he carried her up.

　　"My side aches when I breathe, and I feel stiff and queer; but itisn't bad, so don't be troubled, uncle," whispered Rose, with a littlehot hand against his cheek.

　　But the poor doctor did look troubled, and had cause to do so, forjust then Rose tried to laugh at Dolly charging into the room with awarming-pan, but could not, for the sharp pain took her breathaway and made her cry out.

　　"Pleurisy," sighed Aunt Plenty, from the depths of the bath-tub.

　　"Pewmonia!" groaned Dolly, burrowing among the bedclothes withthe long-handled pan, as if bent on fishing up that treacherousdisease.

　　"Oh, is it bad?" asked Phebe, nearly dropping a pail of hot water inher dismay, for she knew nothing of sickness, and Dolly'ssuggestion had a peculiarly dreadful sound to her.

　　"Hush!" ordered the Doctor, in a tone that silenced all furtherpredictions, and made everyone work with a will.

　　"Make her as comfortable as you can, and when she is in her littlebed I'll come and say good-night," he added,............