p the wind is. I am chilled to the very
marrow of my bones," answered Aunt Myra, chafing the end of her purple
nose with her sombre glove.

"I don't doubt it, ma'am, if you will wear crape and silk instead of fur
and flannel. Rosy goes out in all weathers, and will be none the worse
for an hour's brisk skating."

"Well, I warn you that you are trifling with the child's health, and
depending too much on the seeming improvement she has made this year.
She is a delicate creature for all that, and will drop away suddenly 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 always did
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 he had his
share was a very masculine dislike of advice which was thrust upon him
unasked. He always listened with respect to the great-aunts, and often
consulted Mrs. Jessie; but the other three ladies tried his patience
sorely, by constant warnings, complaints and counsels. Aunt Myra was an
especial trial, and he always turned contrary the moment she began
to talk. He could not help it, and often laughed about it with comic
frankness. Here now was a sample of it, for he had just been thinking
that Rose had better defer her run till the wind went down and the sun
was warmer. But Aunt Myra spoke, and he could not resist the temptation
to make light of her advice, and let Rose brave the cold. He had no
fear of its harming her, for she went out every day, and it was a great
satisfaction to him to see her run down the avenue a minute afterward,
with her skates on her arm, looking like a rosy-faced Esquimaux in her
seal-skin suit, as she smiled at Aunt Myra stalking along as solemnly as
a crow.

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

The thought returned several times that morning, for it was truly a
bitter 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 occurred
to him that she was making a little Casabianca of herself