“You might tell me,” urged Jack coaxingly.
“No. Can’t do it. Everything is a secret now.” Jean shook her head.
“We have to buy birthday gifts, too,” said Daniella, “but the price is limited. I’ll tell you, Nan, what amount we have decided upon.”
“This is very embarrassing, Miss Jo,” said Dr. Paul. “Suppose we retire to the seat under the tree.” And they beat a hasty retreat.
“We’re going to spend only ten cents apiece on the presents,” Mary Lee told her sister, “like we did for the Christmas gifts in Munich. It will be fun to buy trash and make much of it.”
“And the costumes can’t be very elaborate, of course,” Effie said. “We shall have to make them up out of such materials as we can find.”
Nan knew what she would like to wear, but was not sure that she could manage it. She was so deft with her fingers, so ingenious that she knew she could invent something, given any sort of chance.
“Here they come back again, and Mr. Wells is with them,” announced Jack, who was on the watch.
“Good!” exclaimed Ashby. “Now we boys can get some ideas. I have not a notion what to wear. I always was a duffer about such things.”
“What’s all this?” cried Mr. Wells coming up. “Great doings, I hear. Let me into the scheme, please.”