"Tell us, tell us," they clamored.
"I am going to let you give a porch party to-morrow."
"What is that, Mother?" asked Jennie.
"Why, it is just this: I have been thinking how very hard it must be for those mothers who are boarding at the hotel with restless children and who must find it difficult to entertain them. Many of these mothers do not get a moment's rest, and would be so glad of a little time when they knew their children were safe somewhere, and were having a good time as well, so I thought I would gather up some of these children to-morrow for a porch party and let Miss Eloise tell them some of her stories. You know there is nothing she loves so well as to get a parcel of children around her, and the way she keeps them as still as mice is a perfect marvel to me. I want to do something of [66]the kind for her before she goes, and I am sure she would like this better than any grown-up affair. What do you think of it?"
"It would be fine," cried the little girls in chorus.
"But what do you mean, Mother, by saying before Miss Eloise goes. She surely isn't going soon?"
"Why, I am afraid she and her sister have made up their minds that they must."
"Just as she is getting along so nicely. What a shame!" cried Jennie. "Can't you possibly persuade her to stay?"
"I have tried my best, my dear, but you know they are very proud, and have said that while they are very grateful for the invitation to stay longer that they could not impose upon me to the extent of more than the original time for which I invited them; that was for a month, and the month was up last week."
"Oh, Mother, why didn't you say all summer while you were about it?"