Part 7 (1/2)

Forrest looked the invitations over, smiling to himself, took out two unaddressed envelopes and put them into his pocket, closed the door and strolled away. In his own room he took them out again, and wrote upon them in his best hand, ”Peter Bell, Esq.,” and ”Miss Jane Bell,” adding the street and number, and stamping and sealing them, still with the laugh in the corners of his mischievous mouth.

The next day, when Olive's invitations went into the letter-box on the corner, they were shortly followed by two of which the giver of the party had no knowledge.

It happened that the early morning mail in Gay Street always arrived just before the departure of the family workers for their place of business. So when Nancy, after answering the postman's ring, came back to the table with the mail, both Peter and Jane, just finis.h.i.+ng breakfast, were on hand to receive it.

”Whose handwriting can this be, I wonder?” speculated Jane, intently studying the das.h.i.+ng address.

Peter glanced over her shoulder. ”Same as mine,” he observed, ripping his envelope open. ”Looks like a wedding invitation; but since none of our friends, Janey, are so much as thinking of getting married-- h.e.l.lo, what's this?”

”Oh, why--” Jane was stammering, eagerly. ”O Petey--how lovely--why-- There, I knew she was n't as cold and proud as you thought her!”

”Who--what?” demanded Nancy, with excitement.

”Miss Olive Townsend,” explained Jane, flus.h.i.+ng with pleasure.

”What! Miss Worthington Square invited you two every-day folks to her party?” Ross inquired, getting up from the table and reaching for his hat. ”Pete, you 'll lose your car if you stand mooning over that thing.”

”How did you know she was to have a party?”

”Little Miss s.h.i.+rley confided it to me.”

”Me, too!” cried Nancy, proudly. ”But she did n't tell me her sister would ask you.”

”Miss Olive probably didn't intend to,” hazarded Peter, folding up his note and putting it carefully in his pocket, ”until she came to call and saw our charms. She came--she saw--we conquered--eh, Janey?--with our sweet smiles and our stories. How about it, sister? Do we go?”

”If,” began Jane slowly, the smile fading a little on her bright face, ”if----”

”If we've anything to wear!” supplied Ross, and began to whistle gaily.

”_Oh, ye shall walk in silk attire_,” breaking off to glance at the clock and start hastily for the door, with Peter and Rufus after him.

Jane turned to Mrs. Bell, who, sitting quietly in her place at the head of the table, was regarding her young daughter as if she understood all the doubts which had instantly risen in the girl's mind.

”I think we can manage it, dear,” she said, ”if the party dress does n't have to match the invitation.”

Jane's face grew flushed again. ”I can wear anything, mother, if I have some fresh ribbons. But Peter----”

”Yes--Peter--” agreed Mrs. Bell. She rose and came round to Jane.

”Peter shall have a new cravat,” said she, and smiled into Jane's eyes.

Jane smiled back. Each knew that the other was thinking of Peter's best black suit--in which he went to church on Sundays. Each knew that the Townsend sons would wear evening clothes.

”Yes, with a new cravat Petey will be all right,” said Jane. ”Dear boy, he was pleased, was n't he? And it _is_ nice of her to ask us!”

CHAPTER V

WITHOUT GLOVES

”O Jane, the big porch is all shut in with white stuff, and there's a striped awning where the carriages stop, just as if it was a great grown-up party or a wedding. And I saw them carrying in loads of palms and things. Oh, are n't you excited to be going?”