Miss Ruth rose quickly and went forward to meet them: “Come in, girls,” she said, in a friendly voice. “I am glad to see you.”
“You know Elsa Danforth?” said Betty, in a suddenly shy manner.
“Yes, indeed; Elsa is my neighbour, though she has never been in my house before,” replied Miss Ruth, taking Elsa’s hand into her cordial grasp.
“And this is our little friend, Alice Holt,” said Betty, drawing blue-eyed Alice forward.
“Are you going somewhere?” asked Betty, almost before Miss Ruth had time to greet Alice. “You look all dressed up.”
“No,” said Miss Ruth, deciding instantly that she would not go to Mrs. Wharton’s tea. “I have just come from somewhere. Take off your coats and sit down, girls.”
“We want you to be in our club,” began Betty.
“What kind of a club is it?”
“It is a Christmas Club, for play,” said Betty.
“And work, too,” put in Elsa, shyly, thinking that their play alone might not interest grown-up Miss Ruth.