Then, after all the effort, Betty came home one afternoon with a new idea. “Mother, it’s turned so awfully hot–Indian summer, I suppose–that Peggy says she isn’t going to play tennis or anything on a court, and she’s going to wear her light green flat crepe that is her second best, or else some real cool summer dress, whatever happens to be ready. Peggy doesn’t care! I believe I’ll just wear my pretty thin blue and let it go at that. I don’t want to play tennis either, especially when I don’t know anybody much and not so very many can play. Carolyn says she’s going to pay all her social debts at once and have a big party, so I’ll be lost in the multitude.”
Like Janet, Mrs. Lee privately thought that Betty would never be “lost in the multitude,” but she did not say so. “So Carolyn is paying all her ‘social debts,’ is she?” asked Betty’s mother, amused at the “social debts” expression. “It is just as well that you have decided on the blue. It will look pretty in the gardens and I’d dress for the flowers instead of the tennis court.”
“Aren’t you poetic, Mother! It’s a shame that you went to all the trouble about the other dress, though.”
“That will be so much clear gain, child. You now have another frock, which will come in for service at some time, no doubt.”
When the day and the hour arrived, Betty’s father arrived home late for lunch, as he could do on Saturday, unless there were some executive meeting. That settled the question of how to get to the party, and Betty called up two of her friends to say that her father was going to take her and that she would stop for them if they liked. Naturally they were glad of the opportunity, for the Gwynne estate was out at some distance, almost a “country estate,” Peggy had said. “Call up,” said Betty’s father, “when you want to come home, or rather, when I should start from home in time to reach you. We’ll take note of the time we spend getting there. Then I’ll bring a machine full of whomever you like.”
“Oh, that is so good of you, Mr. Lee!” exclaimed Dotty Bradshaw, one of the freshman girls whom Betty had invited to ride with them. “But perhaps Betty will want somebody else, though,” added Dotty, happening to think that perhaps she was taking too much, for granted.
“Why, Dotty, of course if we call for you we’ll see you back home. We’re sort of new to the city, though, so perhaps you can tell me who live places that wouldn’t be too far away.”
“Most anybody that attends our high school would be all right,” answered Dotty, “because girls that live in other parts of town would go to other high schools.”
“Of course! I didn’t think!”
“Well, I don’t know about that,” said Selma Rardon, the other freshman in the car. “There are sometimes people way out, like Carolyn herself.”