“All right,” said Dotty. “We can spare you. Of course, we just hate to have you go, but if you must—”
“Oh, we’ll come back. But it’s too great a day to stay inside. You girls had better go out for a run yourselves.”
“Maybe we will,” said Dolly. “But wait a minute, boys. I want to ask you something. Won’t you each promise to dance twice with Bernice at her party?”
“Goodness, gracious! Bernice again!” and Tod Brown pretended to fall in a faint.
“Yes, again and yet and all the time!” declared Dolly, laughing at Tod’s ridiculous antics. “Now, own up, you know you can’t go to her party and not dance with her—”
“Why go?” demanded Clayton.
“Of course you’ll go! Wild horses couldn’t keep you away! But as you’re going, why not be decent about it, and do the really nice thing? If each of you will dance twice, and a few others once, she will have all the partners she wants.”
“Are you her press agent, Dolly? What has come over you?” asked Tad.
“Never you mind about that. You just do as I say.”
Now Tad was pretty apt to do as Dolly said, and so he bowed and scraped, saying, “What you say goes. Two is my number. Hey, fellows?”