"Advertisin'!" she choked, "people for ten miles—" another burst of laughter prevented her from continuing for a moment. "People for ten miles 'round are talkin' about nothin' else. Don't spend a cent for advertisin'."
"Quite true," added Mrs. Tweedie, "our club and entertainment are in the mouths of everybody."
"And I'm 'fraid they've got a hard pill to swaller," said Mrs. Stout, wiping her eyes.
"What do you mean?" Mrs. Tweedie quickly demanded.
"Oh, nothin' against anybody in pertic'ler, only it has struck me that some of us old women in the show are goin' to be dreadful funny when we ain't s'posed to be."
"The people know that we do not pretend to be more than amateurs," pleaded Miss Sawyer.
"I know that," replied Mrs. Stout, "but there are good and bad amatoors."
"It is too bad of you to say such things, Mrs. Stout," said Mrs. Blake. "I am sure that we shall do quite as well as we are expected to do."
"Of course," smiled Mrs. Stout, "but we're bound to make mistakes, and we don't want to be any bigger fools than we can help."
"Fools indeed!" snapped Mrs. Tweedie, "I am sure that the ladies who are to take part in our entertainment are of exceptional intelligence and ability—with one or two exceptions."