“Can’t you guess?” Bess asked. “Can’t you guess, when you know as I do that Nan will be leaving about the end of April to go away?”
“Can’t you guess,” Rhoda chimed in, “When you know that it’s a secret, that it’s about Nan, that you are all—”
“Invited,” supplied Amelia.
“That there will be food,” Grace put in her bit.
“That everybody will know eventually,” Bess added.
“That it’s to be a great big surprise party on Nan!” they all chorused together, and then laughed.
“Sh! Did I hear somebody at the door?” Bess broke in on the confusion.
Immediately everybody was silent. The room was quiet as a tomb, as Bess got up and went to the door.