"Ralph," she called softly, after turning the knob, "are you
asleep?"
"Huh? N-no, ma'am." The voice nearly gave the lie to the words.
"Well, dear, we were wondering--would you rather be a minister or a
doctor?" she asked, much as though she were offering for choice a peach
and a pear.
"A doctor!" came emphatically from out of the dark--there was no sleep
in the voice now. "I've always wanted to be a doctor."
"You shall, oh, you shall!" promised the woman ecstatically, going back
to her sister; and from that time all their lives were ordered with that
one end in view.
The Hapgood twins were far from wealthy. They owned the homestead, but
their income was small, and the added mouth to fill--and that a hungry
one--counted. As the years passed, Huldy came less and less frequently
to help in the kitchen, and the sisters' gowns grew more and more rusty
and darned.
Ralph, boylike, noticed nothing--indeed, half the year he was away at
school; but as the time drew near for the college course and its
attendant expenses, the sisters were sadly troubled.
"We might sell," suggested Tabitha, a little choke in her voice.
Rachel started.
"Why, sister!--sell? Oh, no, we couldn't do that!" she shuddered.
"But what can we do?"
"Do?--why lots of things!" Rachel's lips came together with a snap.
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