“Don’t! You mustn’t. Why, it was the B’s who got her, not I,” protested Betty vigorously.
“No, you began it,” said Babe.
“You bet you did,” declared Bob.
“Yes, indeed. We were too scared to speak of her until you proposed something like it,” added Babbie in her sweet, lilting treble.
“You can’t get out of it. You are the real founder of this democracy,” ended Christy Mason decidedly. Betty was proud of Christy’s approval. It was fun, too, to have the Hill girls crowding around and saying pleasant things to her.
“I almost think I’m somebody at last. Won’t Nan be pleased!” she reflected as she hurried home to keep her promise to Eleanor. Then she laughed merrily all to herself. “Those silly girls! I really didn’t do a thing,” she thought. And then she sighed. “I never get a chance to be a bit vain. I wish I could–one little wee bit. I wonder if Mr. West came.”
It did not occur to Betty as at all significant that Jean Eastman and Kate Denise had not spoken to her after the meeting, until, when she knocked on Eleanor’s door, Eleanor came formally to open it. “Jean and Kate are here,” she said coldly, “so unless you care to stop—”
Jean and Kate nodded silently from the couch where they were eating candy.
“Oh, no,” said Betty in quick astonishment. “I’ll come some other time.”
“You needn’t bother,” answered Eleanor rudely. “They’ve told me all about it,” and she shut the door, leaving Betty standing alone in the hall.