“Why not?” cried Ethel, impulsively, and then, as they all saw that Maude did not smile, they felt rather uncomfortable.
For a few moments nobody spoke, and then Betty, to change the subject, said:
“All right; let’s play tennis, then.”
But there was a constraint over them all, and no one knew exactly why.
To be sure, it was strange for Maude to invite them to go for ice-cream, and then to recall her invitation so suddenly. But they each felt there was more than that in the air, and Maude looked so disturbed that it seemed there must be something serious the matter.
So strong was the conviction that it would prove embarrassing, that Betty repressed her inclination to invite the girls to take ice-cream with her instead of Maude.
Instinctively she felt she had better not do this, and so she proposed tennis instead.
Half-heartedly they went for their rackets, and as they went toward the courts, Irene and Maude fell behind and talked in whispers. Then they turned and went back to the house.
The other four went on, and had nearly finished a set of tennis when the two rejoined them.
Maude looked angry, and Irene looked as if she had been crying, but no questions were asked, and no information was offered as to the cause.