"Dear me, I wish we could run and ask mother about it," murmured Ruth, impatiently. "Now, if you were only visiting me instead of me being here with _you_!"
"If I had gone to you, you might never have had the idea of using these woods for the children," ventured her aunt.
"No, that's so," admitted Ruth. "And we can go back to the house and write all our plans down on paper and send them to mother, can't we?"
Aunt Selina consenting, Ruth wheeled the chair back to the house. When they reached the steps the invalid felt so strong that she lifted herself out of the chair and climbed up the low steps with only Ruth to lean upon.
"Why, I never felt a twinge in my joints all this time! I never knew rheumatism to disappear so quickly as it has this time," she said, as she sank down in a low chair.
"Let's hope it won't come back again," added Ruth. "If it stays away you could pack up and go to Oakdale with me, couldn't you?"
Aunt Selina, who never visited and seldom left her home, looked horrified for a moment. But Ruth continued innocently,
"We could get all of mother's advice for the farm plans besides seeing father and being home with him!"
Sally, who had seen Miss Selina coming up the steps without a cane, thought some miracle had been performed. So, wishing to hear all about it, she hurried out with the announcement that dinner was almost ready.
"Dinner! Why, Sally, we just finished breakfast. I'm sure I don't want anything to eat so soon," replied Miss Selina.
"It's pas' one o'clock, Miss S'lina, an' you allus likes de meals to be on time," ventured Sally.
"I'm sure I feel as if it was dinner time, 'cause I'm so hungry," added Ruth, who always had a healthy appetite.
Aunt Selina laughed indulgently as she rose and limped slowly indoors.
Immediately after dinner Ruth hurried to the library and brought forth a pencil and paper. Meeting her aunt in the hall she said, "Now, we'll sit down and put all of our plans on paper."
The greater part of the afternoon was passed in this engrossing work.
That night Aunt Selina again sought her bed with a great sense of gratitude that she could enjoy the rest without any pain. She slept all through the night and awoke in the morning feeling strong and energetic. Almost every trace of her lameness had disappeared.
