"We must see it," Bess cried. "I'm just crazy to see how Sallie and Celia look on the screen."
"Why! you never saw them. Do you think they will be labeled?" scoffed Walter.
"Oh, we saw a photograph of Sallie; and if Celia looks anything like Mr. Si Snubbins, we can't mistake her," laughed Bess. "Let's run over and go in."
"No," Grace objected. "Mother never lets us go to a picture show without asking her permission first."
"No? Not even when Walter is with you?" asked Bess.
"No. She wishes to know just what kind of picture I am going to see. She belongs to a club that tries to make the picture-play people in this neighborhood show only nice films. She says they're not all to be trusted to do so."
"I guess this 'Rural Beauty' is a good enough picture," Nan said; "but of course we'll ask your mother's permission before we go in."
"There it is," groaned Bess. "Got to ask permission to breathe, I expect, pretty soon."
But she was glad, afterward, that they did ask Mrs. Mason. That careful lady telephoned the committee of her club having the censorship of picture plays in charge, and obtained its report upon "A Rural Beauty." Then she sent Walter to the playhouse to buy a block of seats for that evening, and over the telephone a dozen other boys and girls—friends of Grace and Walter—were invited to join the party.
They had a fine time, although the chums from Tillbury had not an opportunity of meeting all of the invited guests before the show.