The Girl Scouts Rally Part 4

And there's not a thing to talk of, Not a scheme or plan to make, Not a deed of gentle loving, Nothing done for Someone's sake.

_Chorus_

Not a thing for us to aim for-- Not a height for us to climb!

Just the stupid task of living; Just the bore of pa.s.sing time!

_Enter Girl Scout with many Merit Badges on her sleeve._

_Girl Scout._

Did I hear you wish for friends.h.i.+ps?

Mates to join in work and play?

Someone true and good and loving You would chum with every day?

See this uniform? It tells you You can wear it; be a Scout!

See the sleeve with all the "Merits"?

You could win without a doubt.

_Chorus_

_All--_

Oh, what fun we'll have together!

Oh, what work and jolly play!

Walks and talks and happy study With the Girl Scouts every day.

CHAPTER IV

When Rosanna finished, Helen gave a sigh of delight.

"Rosanna," she said, "it is perfectly beautiful; perfectly _beautiful_!

Shall you have the Webster girls sing that?"

"I had not thought of them," confessed Rosanna. "I thought it would be nice for Elise and you, Helen. You both sing so sweetly and you can both dance too."

"I shall be frightened to death," said Helen, trying to imagine herself on a real little stage; at least on a make-believe stage with a curtain stretched across Mrs. Horton's or Mrs. Hargrave's parlor. But frightened or not, she was more than pleased that Rosanna had thought of her, and she had no intention of giving up the part.

She and Elise commenced to practice on the song, and between them made up the prettiest little dance. Mrs. Culver and Mrs. Hargrave were delighted to play their accompaniments and suggest steps. Of course they had to be told something of what was going on, but they were very nice and asked no questions.

A week later Rosanna's little play was finished and ready to show Uncle Robert. Rosanna was as nervous as a real playwright when he has to read his lines to a scowly, faultfinding manager. She invited Helen over to spend the night with her so she could attend the meeting.

Her grandmother was out to a dinner-bridge party, so Rosanna and Helen and Uncle Robert went up to Rosanna's sitting-room and prepared to read her play. And if the truth must be told, Uncle Robert prepared to be a little bored. But as Rosanna read on and on in her pleasant voice, stopping once in awhile to explain things, Uncle Robert's expression changed from a look of patient listening to one of amus.e.m.e.nt and then to admiration. By the time Rosanna had finished he was sitting leaning forward in his chair and listening with all his might. He clapped his hands.

"Well done, Rosanna!" he said heartily. "I am certainly proud of you!

Why, if you can do things of this sort at your age, Rosanna, we will have to give you a little help and instruction once in awhile. Well, well, that _is_ a play as _is_ a play! Don't you think so, Helen?"

"It's just too beautiful!" said Helen with a sigh of rapture. "Just too beautiful! Which is my part, Rosanna?"

"I thought you could be the little girl who discovers the lost paper so the other little Girl Scout's brother will not have to go to prison.

That is, if you like that part."

"It is the nicest part of all," sighed Helen. "What part are you going to take?"

"I didn't think I would take any," said Rosanna.

"Oh, you must be in it!" cried Helen.

"No, Rosanna is right," declared Uncle Robert. "It is her play, you see, and she will have to be sitting out front at all the rehearsals to see that it is being done as she wants it."

"That is what I thought," said Rosanna. "But you are going to help with everything, are you not, Uncle Robert?"

"Surest thing in the world!" declared Uncle Robert heartily. "But as long as this is all about the Girl Scouts, won't you have to show it to your Girl Scout Captain, or leader, before you go on with it?"

"Of course," said Rosanna.

"Who is she?" asked Uncle Robert carelessly.

"Why, you saw her, Uncle Robert," replied Rosanna. "Have you forgotten the dear sweet little lady who called when I was sick when we were looking for someone very fierce and large?"

"Sure enough!" said Uncle Robert after some thought. If Rosanna had noticed she would have seen a very queer look in his eyes. He had liked the looks of that young lady himself. "Well, what are you going to do about it?"

"I suppose I will have to go around to her house, and tell her all about it and read it to her."

"Is it written so I can read it?" said Uncle Robert, glancing over the pages. "Very neat indeed. Now I will do something for you, if you want me to save you the bother. Just to be obliging, I will take your play and will go around and tell Miss Hooker that I am Rosanna's uncle, and read it to her myself."

"Why, you know her name!" said Rosanna.

"Um--yes," said Uncle Robert. "I must have heard it somewhere. For goodness' sake, Rosanna, this place is like an oven!"

"You _are_ red," admitted Rosanna. "Well, I wish you would do that, please, because it makes me feel so queer to read it myself. It won't take you long so we will wait up for you to tell us what she thinks."

"I wouldn't wait up," advised Uncle Robert, getting up. "If she likes me, it may take some time."

"Likes _you_?" said Rosanna.

"I mean likes the way I read it, and likes the play, and likes the idea, and likes everything about it," said Uncle Robert. He said good-bye and hurried off, bearing the precious paper.

The girls sat and planned for awhile, when the doorbell rang. Rosanna could hear the distant tinkle, and saying "Perhaps he is back," ran into the hall to look over the banisters.

She returned with a surprised look on her face.

"What do you suppose?" she demanded of Helen who sat drawing a plan of a stage. "It is Uncle Robert, and Miss Hooker is with him. Oh, dear me, I feel so fussed!"

"Come down!" called Uncle Robert, das.h.i.+ng in the door. "I have a surprise for you both."