“Leave the candy here,” suggested Ruth Warren, “and have it for the Club meeting.”
“All—right, I will,” came the rather reluctant but courageous consent.
“Well, it’s ’most school-time and I must go,” cried Betty in her wonted happy manner, a half-moment later. “Thank you for keeping the candy.” She took a last piece by way of reward to herself, and hurried off to school.
There was no Alice with Betty and Elsa when they arrived, soon after three o’clock. “She wasn’t at school this morning, but Ben has gone home to see if she can come,” Betty explained at once.
“Mrs. Holt has just now telephoned me,” Ruth Warren said, “and she tells me that Alice has a feverish cold, so she cannot come to the Club.”
“We might go out there,” Betty suggested.
“But we are not invited,” Ruth Warren replied merrily. “If Alice has a feverish cold, naturally enough her mother would not invite us there.”
“It is too bad,” cried Elsa. “Alice will be so disappointed.” Both she and Betty looked quite downcast, for they were very fond of Alice.
“Can we have the story just the same, or shall we wait?” Betty inquired anxiously.