“Thanks,” Alec laughed.
“There’s never any dust over at our place.” Blue Bonnet leaned forward to poke one of the great glowing logs. “It’s perfectly lovely to have a whole afternoon free; but I earned it this morning—I behaved like an angel of light—and then as soon as dinner was over, before Grandmother had gone upstairs, I asked if I might come here and do my duty towards my neighbor this afternoon. I’m awfully glad Aunt Lucinda approves of you, Alec.”
“So am I.”
“It really was very good of her to say yes, seeing what disgrace I got into yesterday afternoon.”
Alec looked interested. “Go on,” he said.
Blue Bonnet’s eyes were dancing. “Well,” she began, “yesterday was ‘tea day.’”
“Was what?”
“‘Tea day,’” Blue Bonnet repeated. “You see, every one of those six girls was bound to ask me back in turn, and return; they’re all over now but one. At first, it was fun—the going, you know; and then,” Blue Bonnet leaned forward confidentially, “it got kind of monotonous. There were just the same girls, and we did the same things. Then, yesterday morning, Amanda’s invitation came for next Friday. Alec, after I got started yesterday afternoon, I couldn’t for the life of me remember whether it was Amanda’s turn this week and Debby’s next, or Debby’s this time and Amanda’s next. Amanda’s house came first and I saw Sarah going up the steps, so I turned in there. I’d reasoned it out by that time that it was Amanda’s turn—Amanda’s the sort of girl to come tagging along towards the end. Mrs. Parker came to the door. I thought she seemed rather surprised; she didn’t look very partified. I said I hoped I wasn’t too early. She asked me into the parlor, and that didn’t look very partified either. Pretty soon Sarah came down with Amanda, and they both had their hats on! Alec, if I’d only had sense enough to keep still!—but I just plumped down on the sofa and began to laugh. All I could think of was that I was too early—a whole week too early!”
Alec leaned back, shaking with laughter. “Elizabeth,” he declared, “you’re better than a tonic!”
“The worst of it was,” Blue Bonnet said, “that I tried to explain. It seemed awfully funny to me at the time; but when I told about it at home, Aunt Lucinda couldn’t see anything funny in it. There was a laugh in Grandmother’s eyes, though,—only she didn’t mean me to see it.”