To be sure they had been neither filled out nor directed, as none of the toys could write, but neither could they read; the invitations were handed around merely as a matter of form, for every toy in the nursery knew the time and place of the wonderful event.
Such a brilliant affair had never before taken place, and society was all agog and in a flutter of excitement.
The committee was at first somewhat puzzled as to how they should secure adequate refreshments, as, in the light of recent events, a raid on the kitchen was out of the question. But Bedelia again came to the rescue, and by the aid of the telephone ordered such a gorgeous supper that the caterer who had served the North family for years concluded that some grand society function was afoot.
All this time Peter Pan was growing sulkier and sulkier, and his attitude had become more threatening. He had even been overheard to vow that he would not attend the ball.
All the rest of the toys felt extremely anxious as to the outcome of affairs. Many of them sided with Peter Pan, for he had always been friendly and courteous with everyone, while his wife had kept, to herself. And her accession of friendship with the newcomers had only tended to aggravate society at large.
The Kaiser and his plump and pretty wife, however, had become extremely popular, and owned a goodly following. So public opinion appeared to be about evenly divided.
It seemed a great shame that such a radical split should have taken place in a society that heretofore had always moved in perfect unison.
The twins had been looking forward to the coming festivities with the liveliest anticipations, but on the very day before the ball their father, having been offended at them for some infringement of rules, declared that they should not set foot in the ball-room. Bedelia immediately vowed that they should, and so matters stood on the evening of the ball.
All the dolls were rigged out in their best attire, and Bedelia had borrowed a beautiful pink silk dècolletè gown from one of them who was fortunate enough to own several.
To be sure, it was rather a tight fit and two buttons indignantly burst off the back of the waist when they discovered who it was that was putting it on. A pin or two, however, made good the deficiency, and Bedelia really looked very charming in the glistening pink silk with a wreath of tiny pink rosebuds twined around her ears. She felt entirely satisfied as she surveyed herself in the mirror on Sally’s bureau, to the top of which she had climbed in order to get a full view of herself, and quite forgot all about the anxious twins who, decorated with two of Sally’s newest blue hair-ribbons, hovered nervously in the background awaiting developments.