“Laura, you haven’t done that, have you?” The girls all gasped.
“N—N—Not yet!” Laura sobbed some more. “But it’s not because I didn’t try to write it. I’ve got to ask Dr. Beulah how to address it,” she sniffled. “I guess I’ll go up and ask her now.” She sat up on the bunk. “Then it will be all over with.”
“Laura,” Nan took her friend firmly by the shoulders. “Don’t you know that you can’t refuse. An invitation from the Captain is practically the same as a command.”
“Well, I guess I can’t go if I have scarlet fever.” Laura was still crying.
“Yes, but if you have scarlet fever, we can’t go either,” Bess was troubled. “I don’t care what you tell him, but you can’t tell him that.” A look from Nan silenced Bess.
“See here, Laura,” Nan shook her friend. “You’ve got to come to your senses. You simply have to go. You might just as well make up your mind to do it now, because you are going if we have to dress you and drag you there.” Nan tried to look very serious, but somehow she couldn’t suppress a twinkle that came to her eyes. Already the other girls were smiling. They knew that Laura would have to give in. The situation seemed amusing now.
“You wouldn’t go either,” Laura continued, “if you had said the things I did and he had heard you. The next time I’m going to keep my mouth shut.”
“Of course you will,” Nan sounded full of conviction. “And this time you’ll go, and he will shake your hand, and you’ll smile up at him, and then everything will be all right.”
“Do you really think so?” Laura was already more than half willing to be convinced.
“I haven’t a doubt in the world but what it will,” Nan sounded very positive.