Free Rose Galbraith by Grace Livingston Hill Page B

it occurred to him that he could send her a radio message.
    He called himself all sorts of names as he turned the idea over in his mind, but in the end the thought appealed to him more and more, until at last one night he resolved to do it. It certainly couldn’t do any harm, and if he worded it casually, it wouldn’t seem ridiculous. She wasn’t a girl with whom one would take liberties of attention. So he gave careful thought to the wording of his message and at last sent it off.
    Dear Rose:
    Hope you have a pleasant voyage. Best wishes for a happy arrival among your friends. Be sure to send me your full address as soon as you are located. I want to send you a book I think you will enjoy. Hope everything is fine
.
    Your friend
,
    Gordon
    That message was brought to Rose late Saturday night after she had been asleep for two hours. It filled her with a new contentment. It made her feel that she had one friend who meant to be not a mere casual acquaintance, but a good friend that might last through the years. Such a friendship could be as fresh and pleasant after time had rolled along as when they were just children in school, a friendship of two people who liked the same things, who would enjoy talking and reading about the same subjects. It made life an entirely different thing to Rose, as if she had happy, wholesome contacts like other girls, and was not absolutely alone in the world. Well, anyway, however she reasoned it out, she felt happier, and didn’t quite dread the new scenes and relatives as much as she had. Someone away back across the water was thinking of her now and then and wishing her well, and someday, if she ever met him again, she would remind him of how he had said she would make friends on the voyage, and she would tell him about Lady Campbell and how lovely she was.
    Lady Campbell was very kind and helpful at the end of the voyage. She saw to it that all the details of landing were made clear and comfortable for Rose, and that she was put on the train that would take her the short journey to where her mother’s people had promised to meet her.
    But before they parted Lady Campbell made definite plans for Rose to visit her, making sure of both the addresses where she expected to be. She kissed her good-bye, calling her a dear little girl, and said she was so glad she had found her. She warmed Rose’s heart and kept away the tremor of half fright at the thought of meeting the new relatives.
    Rose wasn’t anticipating any pleasure in this visit. It was going to be hard for her to like the people who had treated her mother so cruelly, on account of her wonderful father. Probably it was right that she should be willing to forgive them, but it seemed impossible. She couldn’t help resenting them for her father’s sake. And they hadn’t even known him! She meant to get through this visit as soon as possible and get on to her father’s family, who had been so lovely always to her mother that she felt as if they were more her relatives than the others.
    The way along which the train sped was most interesting. New scenes, lovely lakes, vegetation, flowers, and wide expanses of heather. How lovely it all was!
    And the enchanting little villages, Scotch and quaint; and there—she caught her breath—was a tall old craggy castle!
    Just then the train stopped at the station where she was to get out, and she arose in fear and trembling to gather up her belongings. There was the tall old castle on the hill not far away, and she was glad for that. Perhaps it would be within walking distance and she could go near and study it. She had always wanted to see a real castle. There was a foreign-looking car drawn up at the station, and a man in livery standing by it.
    â€œAre ye gaen tae lady Warloch’s?” he asked cautiously.
    Rose hesitated, then realized that that would be her aunt, of course. Mother had always spoken of her as Aunt Janet, but her name was Warloch.