"The question is, what will happen to him before he grows up," chuckled Neale. "That kid is a public nuisance. I don't know but that the dog-catchers will get him yet."
Meanwhile the two little girls had secured the paper box and opened it. Their squeals drew all the others to the sitting room. Inside the neatly wrapped box was a round object in silver and gold foil, and when this was carefully unwound, a big, splendid golden pippin lay on the table.
"Why!" cried Dot, "it's one of our own apples."
"It is surely off our pippin tree," agreed Agnes.
"Who could have sent it?" Tess surmised. "And Dr. Forsyth brought it."
"Bringing coals to Newcastle," chuckled Neale.
But when Tess took up the apple, it broke in half. It had been cunningly cut through and through, and then the core scooped out, and the halves of the apple fastened together again.
For in the core of the apple was a wad of paper, and Tess spread this out on the table. It was a note and the reading of it delighted the two smaller girls immensely:
"My dear Lesser Half of the Corner House Quartette," it began. "Your kindness in sending me the nice bag of apples has not been overlooked. I wanted to come and see you, and thank you in person; but my duties at present will not allow me to do so. We are short-handed here at the Women's and Children's Hospital and I can not spare the time for even an afternoon call.
"I would, however, dearly love to have you little girls, Theresa and Dorothy, both come to call on me, and take tea, some afternoon--the time to be set by your elder sister, Miss Ruth. Ask her to write to me when you may come--on your way home from school, if you like.
"Hoping I shall have the pleasure of entertaining you soon, I am,
"Your loving and sincere friend, "MARION ELAND."
"I think that is just too sweet for anything of her," sighed Tess, ecstatically. "To call and take tea with her! Won't that be fine, Dot?"
"Fine!" echoed Dot. She bit tentatively into her half of the apple which had contained the invitation. "This--this apple isn't hurt a mite, Tess," she added and immediately proceeded to eat it.
Ruth set the day--and an early one--for Tess and Dot to take tea with their new friend, Mrs. Eland. She wrote a very nice note in reply to that found in the core of the apple, and the little girls looked forward with delight to seeing the matron of the Woman's and Children's Hospital.