CHAPTER VIII
THE INTERMEDIATE BIRTHDAY PARTY
“
There are Leonora and David and Patricia, to start with,” began Polly, “and Elsie Meyer and Brida McCarthy and Cornelius O’Shaughnessy.”
Mrs. Dudley, writing down the names, smiled her sanction.
“I want to invite as many of the girls at school as I can,” Polly went on thoughtfully, “Lilith Brooks and Betty Thurston anyway—oh, and Hilda Breese! I must have Hilda. She is a new scholar, but such a dear! How many does that make?”
“Eight girls, with you, and two boys.”
“Only three more girls!” mused Polly anxiously. “I can’t leave out Aimée Gentil, and I meant to ask Mabel Camp and Mary Pender.” She paused.
“That just makes it.” Her mother’s pencil was waiting.
“But I don’t know what to do,” Polly sighed. “There’s Gladys Osborne, I ought to invite her. She’s Betty’s intimate friend, and I’m afraid she’ll feel hurt to be skipped. And Ilga!” She drew another sigh.