“Yes, but suppose it runs on and Aline does not join any sorority. I think that she will be sorry not to have had the fun of it and the pleasant friendships. It isn’t as if we were all at swords’ points with each other. Miss Tudor has certainly kept her word about having a lot of them! We compete in the rushing season, of course, and sometimes mean things are said; but after all, nobody takes it so very seriously. Don’t you agree with me?”
“To a certain extent. Your sorority in a way does determine your more intimate friendships. You are with that group of girls more, and some of the girls are pretty snobbish about it.”
Now Ann had thought that Eleanor belonged to that type. It was interesting to hear Eleanor herself mention snobbery and, in a sense, disclaim it.
“I will talk with Aline,” continued Eleanor, “if I have a good opportunity, at least to let her know that I will not stand in her way. We can be just as good friends, though I very much regret not having her in the same sorority, and, Ann, I’ll ask her once more, finally, if she will not come with us!”
“You have a perfect right to do that, Eleanor. If Aline joins us, I want it to be because she wants to, as well as for the reason that her mother was a member. That is, I don’t want her to feel forced to come in,—well, you know what I mean.”
“Yes. I’ll talk to Aline tonight. After that, go ahead. Aline may come to you herself. Perhaps she’d rather. I suppose that she was to answer your proposition, if you made one?”
“I did; and she said that she would think it over. Say, Eleanor, you will not talk this over with any of the other Sigs, will you? I did not give the source of my information on Aline’s not having joined the Sigs.”
“This is between Aline and me,” said Eleanor.
It was on Friday night, the one before the Saturday tea at Polly’s, when Aline came around to Ann’s suite and found her alone. Aline carried in her hand the pretty card of invitation with its gay little parrot. It bore the letters “R.S.V.P.” upon it and Aline had already accepted, to Marta’s and Ann’s delight. But for a moment Ann felt startled. Could it be, after all, that Aline would not come, that there was not a bit of hope for the “Bats”? But she welcomed Aline and made her sit in the best rocker, where the view was prettiest.