reached.

"Oh, Mother," said the child pleadingly, "you are going to let me go, aren't you?"

"Why, dearie, I shall have to think about it a little. I can't say just on the instant, and I shall have to see what your father thinks about it."

"But, Mother, won't you say that maybe I can? That will be better than nothing at all."

Mrs. Conway smiled. "I think I can venture to say that much or even a little more. I can say that I should like very much to have you go."

"Goody! Goody!" cried Edna clapping her hands. "That is almost as if you said I really could. I had 15a letter from Jennie, Mother, and she is just crazy for us to come. You know Dorothy is invited, too. Would you like to see Jennie's letter?"

"Very much."

Edna promptly handed over the blue envelope, and was not disappointed to have her mother say, "That is a very nice cordial letter, Edna, and I am sure the invitation shows that both Mrs. Ramsey and Jennie really want you. I will talk it over with your father this evening. Now run along, and don't exercise too vigorously this warm day, and don't forget what I said about being in the sun." She returned to her letters and Edna with Dorothy left the room.

"Now we must go to my mother," declared Dorothy.

"Yes, but we must walk slowly and I think we had better take an umbrella," returned Edna, fresh from her mother's advice.

"All right," said Dorothy, "I think it would be better, for there is that long sunny stretch along the road, though the rest of the way is shady."

They set forth talking eagerly. "Don't you think it sounded as if I might go?" asked Edna.

"Why yes," replied Dorothy, "only I don't see how we can wait till evening to know."

"Do you believe your mother will say positively that you can or that you can't?"

16 "I think she will say just what your mother did; that she will have to talk to papa about it, but—oh, Edna, I know what I shall do."

"What?"

"I shall ask mother if she can't telephone in to father and find out, and if she says she can't take the time to do it, I know Agnes will."

"What a lovely idea!" exclaimed Edna. "I shall do that very same thing as soon as I get home."

"And if he says yes, you can telephone over to me."

"That's just what I'll do. Oh, isn't it exciting?"

In spite of their determination to walk slowly, they covered the ground very quickly and in a few minutes had reached Dorothy's home. "Where's mother?" cried Dorothy as she came upon her sister who was sitting on the back porch.

"She has gone over to Mrs. MacDonald's," Agnes told her.

"Oh, dear," said Dorothy despairingly, "just when I wanted her so very, very much. Will she be gone long, Agnes?"

"I don't know, honey. What is the particular haste? Can I help you out?"

"I'm afraid not," answered Dorothy in a woe-begone voice. "Do you know whether mother has had a letter from Mrs. Ramsey this morning?"

17 "I don't know that, either. She took her mail and said she would read it while she was driving over. What is it about Mrs. Ramsey, and why are you so interested?"

"We'll explain," replied Dorothy. "You let her read Jennie's letter Edna, and that will tell most of it."

A second time Edna handed over the letter to be read, and when Agnes had finished, she told her about the letter Mrs. Conway had received.

"And so you see," Dorothy took up the tale, "mother is sure to say just what Mrs. Conway did, only I thought we might find out sooner what papa thought if we talked to him over the 'phone."

"I don't see why we can't do that anyhow, and get that much settled," said Agnes. "Suppose I call him up and tell him about it, then when mother comes in we will tell her what he says, for she is pretty sure to have had Mrs. Ramsey's letter."

"Oh, Agnes, that will be lovely," cried Dorothy, clasping her hand. "It is awfully good of you to think of doing it."

"Let me see," said Agnes, "I think father is pretty sure to be in his office about this time; we might as well go and get it over."

She went to the 'phone, the two little girls standing by while she carried on the conversation, and once in a while one of them would put in a word of argument, so that they could be sure the last 18word bad been said on the subject. After a while Agnes hung up the receiver and looked down with a smile.

"That much is settled," she told them. "Father says he hasn't the slightest objection and leaves it all to mother to decide."

"Then there is nothing to do but wait, I suppose," said Dorothy with a sigh.

"Why, I don't know," said Agnes after a moment's thought. "Why can't you call up Mrs. MacDonald's and get mother there? She will have read the letter, you see, and it will be fresh in her mind."

"Why, of course," said Dorothy delightedly.

"Shall I do it myself, Agnes?"

"You might as well plead your own cause."

So Dorothy was soon discussing the matter with her mother, and finally won from her the assurance that she did not see anything to prevent, though she would not say positively until she had discussed it with Mrs. Conway.

"Then, Mother, will you please stop there on your way home?" was Dorothy's final prayer.

"She's going to stop and talk it over with your Mother on her way home," was the news she gave Edna. "Now I suppose that is all that we can do. Do you think it is, Agnes?" she asked.

"I don't see why Edna couldn't call up her father just as you did yours," returned Agnes, "and then there would be only the mothers to deal with."

19 "Why, of course," agreed Dorothy, with a pleased look. "Come on, Edna, and see what he says."

But here they met with a disappointment, for Mr. Conway was not at his office and it was uncertain when he would be, so his word on the subject must be left till later.

At Dorothy's urgent request Edna stayed until Mrs. Evans' return, and the two spent most of the intervening time in watching for the carriage.

At last it was seen slowly coming up the drive, and the two little girls rushed out to meet it.

"Go in out of the hot sun," called Mrs. Evans, as the little figures took up a place either side of the carriage. "What are you thinking of? Do you want to have a sunstroke?"

"Oh, but, Mother, please stop and let us get in; then we won't be in the sun," said Dorothy.

"Stop then, William," Mrs. Evans ordered the driver, and the two children clambered in.

"We just can't wait," began Dorothy. "Mother, do please tell us what you and Mrs. Conway decided."

"We decided that we would not decide until we found out what our husbands had to say."

"Oh, but we know what your husband has to say," returned Dorothy triumphantly. "Agnes called him up on the 'phone and he said he had no objection as far as he was concerned and he would leave it all to you."

20 Mrs. Evans laughed. "Well, you certainly have not wasted any time."

"Then, please, please say what you think."

"Why, my dear, you haven't given me time to think."

"How long will it take, then," continued Dorothy, pressing the matter.

"I will try to decide by this evening. There is no great hurry, is there?"

"Why, Mother, of course there is. I don't think I could sleep unless I knew."

"Then, I shall try to prevent such a catastrophe by settling it before bedtime. Here we are. You will stay to lunch won't you, Edna?"

"Why, no, Mrs. Evans, thank you, I don't think I ought, for I didn't tell mother I would stay."

"Then let William take you home; it is too warm to walk. The horses haven't been very far, and William can drive slowly."

So the two little girls parted and Edna returned to her own home. She was not