“Of course,” said Betty bravely at last, “you don’t remember when the prom. began. It was in my sister Nan’s senior year, and I’ve heard her tell how it was started on purpose to give the girls one good chance to have their men friends up all at once and avoid just this kind of thing. It was against the rules then to——”
“It’s not now,” declared Lucile hotly.
“Then why didn’t you ask one of the faculty to chaperon you?” Betty asked in a queer, frightened voice, for she hated to interfere or to seem priggish.
“Why indeed?” Georgia echoed. “Just what Mary Brooks Hinsdale asked us. She said she guessed it was all right, but a faculty’s wife couldn’t do anything reckless.”
“If you don’t want us, Betty, we can take the down-town hall,” Lucile explained coldly. “Only we depend on your sense of honor not to give us away.”
“Don’t be cross, Lucile,” commented the straight-haired twin. “Betty’s not that sort.”
Betty smiled a thank you, and rose to go. “I don’t know what to say to-night about the loft,” she said, “but I’ll let you know the first thing in the morning.”
Directly after chapel next day the straight-haired twin appeared, frankly apologetic. “The prep, teacher turned us down too,” she said, “and Georgia plucked up courage to ask the new math. assistant, and she turned us down. We don’t know any town women. We wish—Fluffy and I do anyway—that we had told our men about the new rule and asked girls instead. This sort of thing is too much like work.”
Betty considered an instant. She had intended to consult Madeline, but Madeline had overslept that morning. “Tell the girls that if they’ll put it off till next Saturday they may have it here, and that I’ll find a chaperon myself.”
“You angel!” cried the twin. “Lucile won’t like it because it won’t spite Dickie, so particularly, if you don’t have it the night of the Belden House affair, but the rest will jump at your magnificent offer. Betty, will you come to the regular house dance with me?”