“I’ve heard Mother say that the ‘responsible woman’ was the hardest person on earth to find,” said Helen, thoughtfully.  “But we can all hunt.”

“I know some one who might do if she’d be willing—­and I don’t know why she wouldn’t,” said Ethel Brown.

“Who?  Who?  Some one in Rosemont?”

“Right here in Rosemont.  Mrs. Schuler.”

“Mrs. Schuler?”

There was a cry of wonder, for Mrs. Schuler was the teacher of German in the high school.  She had been engaged to Mr. Schuler, who taught singing in the Rosemont schools, before the war broke out.  Mr. Schuler was called to the colors and lost a leg in the early part of the war.  Since he could no longer be useful as a fighter he had been allowed to return to America, and his betrothed had married him at once so that she and her mother, Mrs. Hindenburg, might nurse him back to health.  He had been slowly regaining his strength through the winter, and was now fairly well and as cheerful as his crippled state would permit.

“You know I’ve been to see Mrs. Hindenburg a good deal ever since we got her to go to the Home to teach the old ladies how to knit,” said Ethel Brown.  “I know her pretty well now.  The other day she told me she had had an application from a family who wanted to board with her this summer, and she was so sorry to have to turn them away because she didn’t have enough rooms for them.”

“I don’t see how that helps us any.”

“You know Mr. Schuler hasn’t been able to take many pupils this winter and I shouldn’t wonder if Mrs. Schuler would be glad to have something to do this summer when school is closed.  Now if they would go to our Fresh Air house and take charge there for the summer it would leave Mrs. Hindenburg with enough space to take in her boarders.  She’d be glad, and I should think the Schulers would be glad.”

“And we’d be glad!  Why, Fraulein is the grandest housekeeper,” cried Helen, using the name that Mrs. Schuler’s old pupils never remembered to change to “Frau.”  “German housekeepers are thrifty and neat and careful—­why, she’s exactly the person we want.  How great of you to think of her, Ethel Brown!”

“You know she wanted to adopt our Belgian baby, so I guess she’s interested in poor children,” volunteered Ethel Blue.

“Are our plans far enough along for us to ask her?” inquired Margaret.

“We ought to ask her as soon as we can, because Mrs. Hindenburg’s plans will be affected by the Schulers’ decision,” Helen reminded them.

“I think we are far enough along,” decided Roger.  “You see, the idea is new to you, but I’ve been working at it for a good many months now, and if we all pull together to do our share I know we can depend on the grown-ups to do theirs.”

“Shall we appoint Ethel Brown to call on Mrs. Schuler and talk it over with her?  She knows her better than the rest of us because she’s seen her at home oftener.”