Part 17 (1/2)
”Are you _sure_ you want it that way?”
”Sure; and Mother will feel better about it, too.”
”Very well, Carolyn. I'm sure Janet and Sue will be delighted to come, and of course I shall.”
Thus it happened that Betty and her guests enjoyed an excellent moving picture, censored by Mrs. Lee, on Friday afternoon, with attendant pleasure of favorite sundaes and shopping in the big stores; and they had the evening quietly at home, early to bed this time, to catch up for the night before. ”It is a good deal of fun with those boys,” said Janet, ”but I think that it will be more _restful_ tomorrow at Carolyn's without them.”
”And you will love Carolyn's home, Janet,” replied Betty, though laughing at Janet's expression.
A soft snow fell that night. In the morning the girls looked out upon a beautiful world of white, soon to be spoiled in the city by the traffic and the soot from the good furnace fires that kept the people warm. But at Carolyn's that afternoon little had occurred to lessen the loveliness of the snow scene. Beautiful evergreens drooped a little with the weight upon their branches. Drifts piled here and there by bushes that seemed to bear feathery blossoms. It was the first ”real snow,” d.i.c.k said, and welcome, particularly to the children.
Betty had not expected so many girls, but here were not only those whom she had invited to her expected party but a number of others. It was very satisfactory. Now Janet and Sue would know just about all the girls that she wanted them to meet.
Opinions might differ about the afternoon's being ”restful.” But it was as restful as girls of high school age would be likely to want it to prove. Janet and Sue were impressed with Carolyn's lovely home, inside and out, and declared that seeing it with the snow must be almost as good as seeing it with its flowers. Carolyn brought all the girls whom they had not met to each of them and although they did settle down with their bits of fancy-work or Christmas presents, Carolyn had them change their seats in order that groups of different girls might be together.
Some things made in the arts and crafts department of the school could be brought to be worked on and Betty saw articles that she ”longed to make,” she said. Janet was always a little quiet when she was first with girls strange to her, but her lack of conversation was not noticeable in the babel of voices after the girls were fairly launched upon various topics that interested them.
”Yes,” replied Betty to one, ”I've met the mysterious 'Don.' His real name is Ramon, but the boys all call him 'Don' now, I've noticed, so I suppose we might as well. He doesn't mind, he said.”
”Did you hear that, Lucille? Betty Lee knows the 'Don.' Well, what is he, anyhow? Spanish, as they say. I always think that the boys may be 'kiddin' us, you know.”
”He really is part Spanish and part Polish and some of his people were Hungarian, at least they lived in Hungary for a while and he said they were 'nice people.'”
”How did you know so much? Is there anything mysterious about him?”
”I was just talking to him one time. He doesn't seem the least bit mysterious to me, but I don't think that he has anybody related to him in this country. He just boards somewhere, I suppose.”
”Then that isn't a bit interesting.”
”Oh, yes, it is, Lucille,” spoke Peggy Pollard. ”Chet Dorrance said that the Don told Ted a little bit one time and there's somebody that's either after him or that he's after, I think.”
”My, isn't that news for you?” laughed Lucille. ”Peggy, you're always so clear!”
”Well, do you suppose that Ted would tell what the boy told him in confidence?”
”Ted must have told something.”
”Couldn't Chet overhear it, maybe?”
”Then he is really mysterious, you think, Peggy.”
”Yes. I asked him last night if he _was_ mysterious and he said he was!”
There was a general laugh at this. ”Peggy's drawing on her imagination,”
said Mary Emma.
”Where did the Don take you last night, Peggy?” queried Lucille, ”to a picture show?”
”No, but he was at the same surprise party I went to,” and Peggy gave a mirthful glance in Carolyn's direction.
”Well, if Don as the boys call him isn't mysterious, you are, so let's change the subject.”