Part 16 (1/2)

”Well,” said Betty, when everybody had congratulated her and Rachel, whose appointment on all 19--'s important committees had come to be a foregone conclusion, ”I hope Nita and Rachel and K. won't be sorry they came. You three aren't so much mixed up in it as the rest of us, but I thought I'd ask you anyway.”

”Do you mean that I can't have my usual three slices of lemon?” demanded Katherine indignantly.

”Hush, material-minded one,” admonished Nita. ”There's more than tea and lemon in this. There's a great secret. Of course we shall be interested in it. Fire away, Betty.”

”And everybody stop watching the kettle,” commanded Babbie, who had taken it in charge, ”and then perhaps it will begin to boil.”

”What I wanted to tell you,” began Betty, impressively, ”is that Miss Hale is going to be married this vacation.”

”Good for Miss Hale!” cried Bob, throwing up a pillow. ”Did her sister get well?”

”Yes,” said Betty. ”She was dreadfully ill all summer, and then she had to go away for a change. Ethel wanted to wait until she was perfectly strong, because she had looked forward so to being maid-of-honor.”

”I think we ought to send Miss Hale a present,” said Babe, decisively.

”Madame President, please instruct the secretary---- Why, we haven't any president now,” ended Babe in dismay.

”Let's elect Betty,” suggested Nita.

”She's too young for such a responsible position,” objected Bob. ”It's only the dramatics committee that takes infants.”

”And besides, her hair curls,” added Madeline, reaching out to pull one of the offending ringlets. ”Curly-haired people don't deserve to be elected to offices.”

”Let's have Babe,” suggested Rachel.

”She's older than her name, her hair has always been straight----”

”Except once,” put in Katherine, and everybody shrieked with laughter at the recollection of Babe's one disastrous experience with a marcelle wave.

”And then she looked like a wild woman of Borneo,” went on Rachel, ”so it shouldn't count against her. Furthermore this society was organized to give her a chance.”

”All right,” agreed Nita. ”I withdraw my nomination. Babe, you're elected. Instruct the secretary to cast a unanimous ballot for yourself.”

”Very well,” said Babe with much dignity. ”Please do it, Madeline, and then I appoint you and Betty and Eleanor to choose a present for Miss Hale. I was just going to say, when I interrupted myself to remark upon the extraordinary absence of a presiding officer”--Babe coughed and dropped her presidential manner abruptly--”I was going to say that I'm all for a stuffed turtle, like those we got in Na.s.sau. I think a ripping big one would be the very thing.”

”Babe!” said Babbie scornfully. ”Imagine how a turtle would look among her wedding presents.”

”I think it would look stunning,” persisted Babe, ”and it would be so appropriate from us.”

”Don't be dictatorial, Babe,” advised Rachel. ”It isn't seemly in a president. Perhaps your committee can think of something appropriate that won't be quite so startling as a turtle. When is the wedding, Betty?”

”The thirty-first of December at half-past eight,” explained Betty.

”New Year's eve--what a nice, poetical time,” interposed Babbie, thoughtfully. ”I think that if I ever marry----”

”Hush, Babbie,” commanded Nita. ”You probably never will. Do let Betty finish her story.”

”Well, it's to be a very small wedding,” went on Betty, hastily, ”with no cards, but announcements, but Ethel wrote me herself and she wants us all--the Na.s.sau ones, I mean--and Mary Brooks, to come.”

”Jolly for Miss Hale!” cried Bob, tossing up two pillows this time.

”How perfectly dear of her!” said Babbie.