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      The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Adopting of Rosa Marie, by Carroll Watson Rankin.
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<body class="x-ebookmaker x-ebookmaker-2"><p>After this failure, Mr. Black followed
crestfallen Jean downstairs; he drew her into
the shabby Rectory parlor.</p>
<p>"Now, Jean," demanded he, sternly, "is
there a solitary thing in this whole world<span class="x-ebookmaker-pageno" title="[297]" id="pgepubid00336"><a id="Page_297" title="[297]"></a></span>
that Bettie wants? Is there anything that
could <i>possibly</i> happen that would wake her
up and bring her back? I'm dreadfully
afraid she's slipping away from us, Jean;
and she's far too precious to lose. Now
think—think <i>hard</i>, little girl. Has she <i>ever</i>
wanted anything?"</p>
<p>"Why," responded Jean, slowly, as if
some outside force were dragging the words
from her, "right after Christmas there <i>was</i>
something, I think. A big, impossible something
that <i>nobody</i> could possibly help. She
didn't talk about it—and yet—and yet—— Perhaps
she did worry."</p>
<p>"Go on," insisted Mr. Black, "I want it
all."</p>
<p>"She seemed to get used to the idea so—so
uncomplainingly. Still, she may have
cared more than anybody suspected. She's
<i>like</i> that—never cries when she's hurt."</p>
<p>"What idea?" demanded Mr. Black.
"Cared for what? Make it clear,
child."</p>
<p><span class="x-ebookmaker-pageno" title="[298]" id="pgepubid00337"><a id="Page_298" title="[298]"></a></span></p>
<p>"You see," explained Jean, "all of us—Henrietta,
Marjory, Mabel and I—have
been talking a great deal about going away
to boarding school—we're all going. But
Bettie—Bettie, of course, knew that she
couldn't go. There was no money and her
father said——"</p>
<p>"And why in thunder," shouted Mr.
Black, forgetting the invalid and striding up
and down the room with his fists clenched,
"didn't somebody say so? What do folks
think the good Lord <i>gave</i> us money for?
Why didn't—Come upstairs. We'll settle
this thing right now."</p>
<p>Impulsive Mr. Black, with dazed Jean at
his heels, opened Bettie's door and walked in.
Bettie lifted her tired eyes in very mild
astonishment.</p>
<p>"Bad pennies," she smiled, "always come
back. What's all the noise about?"</p>
<p>"Bettie," demanded Mr. Black, "do you
want to go away to school with those
other girls next September?"</p>
<p><span class="x-ebookmaker-pageno" title="[299]" id="pgepubid00338"><a id="Page_299" title="[299]"></a></span></p>
<p>Bettie opened her eyes wide. Jean said
afterwards that she "pricked up her ears,"
too.</p>
<p>"Because," continued Mr. Black, keeping
a sharp watch on Bettie's awakening countenance,
"you're going. And if <i>I</i> say
you're going, you surely are. Now, don't
worry about it—the thing's settled. You're
going with the others."</p>
<p>"Open the windows," pleaded Bettie, her
face alight with some of the old-time eagerness.
"I want to see how it smells outdoors."</p>
<p>"I believe we've done it," breathed
Jean. "She looks a lot brighter."</p>
<p>And they had. No one had realized how
tender, uncomplaining Bettie had dreaded
losing her friends. And in her weakened
state, both before and after the fever, the
trouble had seemed very big. The load had
almost crushed sick little Bettie. Now that
it was lifted, and it was, for Mr. Black
swept everything before him, there was nothing<span class="x-ebookmaker-pageno" title="[300]" id="pgepubid00339"><a id="Page_300" title="[300]"></a></span>
to keep the little girl from getting well
with truly gratifying speed.</p>
<p>"Bettie," asked Dr. Bennett, the next
evening, "are you sure this is your own
pulse? If it is, it's behaving properly at last."</p>
<p>"She ate every bit of her supper," said
Mrs. Tucker, happily, "and she asked, this
afternoon, if she owned any shoes. She's
really getting well."</p>
<p>"I'm hurrying," laughed happy Bettie,
"to make up for lost time. Do give me
things to make me fat—as fat as Mabel."</p>
<p>"She's certainly better," said the satisfied
doctor. "By to-morrow we'll have to tie
her down to keep her from dancing. She's
our own Bettie, at last."</p>
<p class="center">
THE END<br/>
</p>
<hr class="chap"/>
<div class="tnote">
<p class="center"><b>Transcriber's Notes:</b></p>
<p>Punctuation errors repaired. Varied hyphenation retained.</p>
<p>Front page description, "Scovill" changed to "Scovel" (Florence Scovel Shinn)</p>
<p>Page 96, "Bennettt" changed to "Bennett" (Mrs. Bennett, rescuing)</p>
<p>Page 165, "shruddered" changed to "shuddered" ("Ugh!" shuddered Marjory)</p>
<p>Page 214, repeated word "a" removed from text. Original read (like a
a lobster's)</p>
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