“Did she?”

“She always understands things.  We talked it all over, and she agreed that it was best for me to come home.”

“But how did you happen to choose medicine?”

“What else was there?  Besides, I ought to inherit it, and papa ought to have some child follow him.  Hubert didn’t, and I must.”

“What about Allyn?”

“He is too young yet to tell whether he will amount to anything or not.  I don’t believe he is the right kind, either.  I am.”

“How do you mean?” In spite of herself, Theodora laughed at the assurance in Phebe’s tone.

“Oh, I have studied myself a good deal,” she said with calm complacency.  “I am not nervous, nor very sympathetic, and I think I could operate on people very nicely.”

“Phebe!” This time, there was no concealment in Theodora’s laugh.

“You needn’t make fun of me,” she said indignantly.  “That helps along; papa says it does.  I had a long talk with him, last night, after you and Billy went home.”

“What did he say?”

“A good many things that there is no use in repeating,” Phebe responded loftily.

“Wasn’t he surprised?”

“Yes, as much as he ever is, at anything I do.”  For the moment, Phebe’s sense of humor asserted itself.  Then she grew grave again.  “It is settled that I am to work with him till summer.  Then, next fall, if I really want to go on with it, I am to go to Philadelphia to study there.  Hope will be shocked, and Hu will make all manner of fun of me, I know.  I do hope you and Billy will stand by me, Ted, and believe it is not a schoolgirl whim, but a real wish to find some work and do it.”

Theodora rose and stood beside her sister.

“I do believe it, dear,” she said.  “I know how I feel about my own work and how I want to succeed in it, for all your sakes.  Only, Phebe, the time may come when you will be ready to put your profession, not in the first place, but in the second.”

But Phebe shook her head.

“No; I am not that kind, Ted.  I’m queer, they all say, and I think my work will always come first.  Mrs. Farrington tried to make a society woman of me; but it was no use.”

“William Farrington!” Theodora said, that night.

“Yes, madame.”

“Once upon a time, there was a girl who came down out of a tree, and took a boy to bring up.  That’s us, Billy, and I always have supposed that my hands were full with training you.  Now I have discovered that they are not.”

“Is it a new story?” her husband asked, dropping his book and looking at her expectantly.

“Alas, no!  No such luck.  I came home with a dozen plans for work simmering in my brain; but I must put them back and let them parboil themselves for a while longer.  My family are demanding my whole attention.”

“What now?”

“Sisterly confidences.  It is funny, Billy; but it is rather distracting to my work.  Allyn took me to walk, this morning, and told me the tragic tale of his first love affair.  It was Lois Hawes, and it ended most unromantically.  He helped her to get ready for the prize speaking, last month, and then she took the prize away from him and neglected to mention that he had coached her.  Now he rages at the whole race of girls and says he won’t finish his term of dancing school.”