“I’d rather not.”
“Please.”
“Well, though I just hate so to tell you what I’m going to.”
“So do I hate to tell you!”
Betty’s little laugh, came to Carolyn over the wire.
“Wouldn’t it be funny if it is about the same thing! Why Carolyn, I’m just sick about it, but I don’t see how we can come to your house tonight. Father has to have a conference or something tonight down town and can’t drive us out to your place. He’s staying down for dinner somewhere, you know. So there’s no one to take us and Mother doesn’t think it’s safe for us to go on the car and then walk as far as we’d have to, especially coming home.”
“That would be all right with our putting you on the car here. But really, Betty, it is a sort of relief, because I was wondering how to tell you that I can’t have the party at all! Sister’s having the house both nights, and besides, I was going to have you at least taken back home, so your father wouldn’t have to come for you, but the cars will be in use, too. It was too bad of my sister not to tell me and Mother did not happen to say anything till this morning when she was asking my sister what she wanted for decorations. I said, ‘Why, Mother, didn’t you tell me I could have a party?’ and Mother looked startled. ‘Why so I did! I hope you haven’t everybody invited!’
“So then I made it as nice for her as I could and said I thought I could change it to an afternoon one, and Betty, since you had that gorgeous party at your house, won’t you let me have you and some of the other girls at our house Saturday, tomorrow afternoon? Please. I’ve telephoned the boys that my party had to be postponed, so this will be a ‘hen party.’ I’ll have some sort of a party in the Christmas vacation, perhaps, to make it up to the boys, not to mention liking the fun myself.
“Will you mind awfully, Betty?” Carolyn’s voice was both regretful and persuasive.
“Why–no, Carolyn–only it isn’t necessary for you to have us at all, you know, and I’ve invited all the other girls.”