Part 11 (2/2)
”Why, I should think so. We'll have to bring that up at our next meeting. Would she like to belong to the club, do you think, Edna?”
”She would just love to, I know.”
”Then we'll have to fix it some way. I'll ask mother or Mrs. Conway what we can do.”
”I don't know how we could all get into their parlor,” said Edna doubtfully; ”it is so very tiny.”
”We don't have to,” Agnes told her, ”for you know the general club-room is up in our attic and I'm sure that is big enough for anyone. If Nettie comes into the club, when her turn comes for a meeting it can be held in the general club-room.”
This was very satisfactory, but it did not do away with another difficulty which came to Edna's mind. She knew that Mrs. Black had barely enough means to get along on with the utmost economy and how Nettie could ever furnish even simple refreshments for a dozen or more girls she did not know. However, she would not worry about that till the time came. As yet Nettie was not even a member of the club.
Margaret's party was talked about at school almost as much after as before it came off. Those who had been present discoursed upon the good time they had had, and those who were not there wished they had been.
But to offset it, there came the report that Clara Adams was going to have a party and that it would be in the evening and was expected to be a gorgeous affair. Jennie Ramsey was invited but had not made up her mind whether she wanted to go or not. As most of those who would be invited were the children of Mrs. Adams's friends and were not schoolmates of Clara's it did not seem to Jennie that she would have a very good time.
”It will be all fuss and feathers,” she told Dorothy and Edna, ”and I won't know half the children there, besides I shall hear so much talk about what I shall wear and all that, I believe I'd rather stay at home.”
”Clara is going to wear a lace frock over pink silk, I heard her say,”
Dorothy told them.
”I should think that would be very pretty,” declared Edna admiringly.
”I'd rather be dressed as we were at Margaret's,” Jennie returned, ”for then we could romp around and not care anything about what happened to our clothes.” Jennie hadn't a spark of vanity and cared so little for dress as to be a surprise to the others.
”Of course that was nice, but I should like the pretty clothes, too,”
rejoined Edna with honesty.
”They won't do anything, either, but dance and sit around and look at each other,” continued Jennie. ”I'd much rather play games like 'Going to Jerusalem' and 'Forfeits' and all those things we did at Margaret's.
I have all the dancing I want at dancing-school. No, I shall tell my mother I don't want to go.” Jennie had made up her mind, and that was the end of the matter for her.
Therefore the others heard very little of what went on at Clara's party.
That it came off they knew, and there was much talk of what this one or that one wore, of how late they stayed and how many dances they had, but that was all, and the stay-at-homes decided that, after all they had not missed much, and if Clara's intention was to rouse their envy she failed of her purpose.
At the next meeting of the club Nettie was voted in as an honorary member. ”That seems to be about the only thing we can do,” Agnes announced, ”and everyone seems to want her.” So the thing was done.
If there was one thing above another which Nettie did long for it was to become a member of the club whose wonderful doings she had heard so much of from Edna. The two had seen each other often, and now that the spring was nearing, rarely a Sat.u.r.day came but that they met. It was Edna who took her the joyful news on Friday evening.
”I've something perfectly lovely to tell you,” she announced as soon as she was inside the door of the little house.
”What?” asked Nettie with a quick smile of interest.
”You're going to be a member of our club.”
”Oh, Edna, how can I be? I don't go to your school.”
”I know, and that is why we had to make you an honorary member,” Agnes said.
”Oh, I think you are all the dearest things I ever knew,” cried Nettie.
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