told Doctor Hugh that
she was sure the girls were learning to like an early bedtime hour.

"If the ring is lost, it is lost, and that is all there is to it,"
said Rosemary, sitting on Sarah's bed to brush her hair, a habit she
still clung to though the bobbed locks were quickly made ready for
the night. "And there is only one thing to do, that I can see: buy
Aunt Trudy another."

"Buy her a ring!" gasped Sarah. "We can't--we haven't any money. And
Hugh won't give it to us, unless we tell him what it's for. How much
does a turquoise ring cost, Rosemary?"

"I don't know," admitted Rosemary. "A great deal, I suppose. I'll
have to earn it, because I am the oldest. And Sarah you'll have to
let me tell Jack Welles, because I want to ask him how I can earn
some money."

"Aunt Trudy won't know the ring is lost," argued Sarah. "She never
looks at 'em--she says she doesn't."

"That has nothing to do with it," replied Rosemary earnestly. "When
you lose a thing, you try to replace it--that's what Mother says. Do
you care if I tell Jack, Sarah?"

"No, but he mustn't tell Hugh," Sarah insisted.

The next morning Rosemary seized an opportunity while Jack was
trimming the dividing hedge, to confide the story of the lost ring,
first swearing him to secrecy.

"And now you have to tell me how I can earn money to buy Aunt Trudy
another ring," she said anxiously.

Jack whistled in perplexity.

"I think you ought to tell Hugh," he said at once. "A ring like that
must cost a lot--Aunt Trudy wouldn't have any make-believe stones.
You can't earn money without he finds it out and then there will be
a pretty row. Hasn't Sarah enough backbone to face the music?"

"Well, you see if she had only played with the jewel case after Hugh
told her not to, that would be bad enough," explained Rosemary. "But
she played with it and lost a ring and Hugh will scold dreadfully
if he finds that out. I promised not to tell and so did you, Jack."

"Yes, I did, and I'm sorry I ever made such a fool promise," said
Jack crossly. "I don't see how you can earn any money, Rosemary.
There is nothing for you to do."

Rosemary was sure she could think of something and that afternoon
she hailed Jack triumphantly.

"I've got it!" she called, running down to the hedge where he was
raking out the trimmings left from the morning's work. "I know what
I can do, Jack. I heard Mrs. Dunning tell Aunt Trudy the other day
that she would give anything if she could ge