“Yes; I know it. But I do hate to have you like Carolyn best!”
As Betty looked now seriously into Kathryn’s face so near her, she saw that Kathryn was in earnest and that tears were springing into her eyes. “Why, Kitty!” she exclaimed softly. “I didn’t know you liked me as much as that. I’m rather glad to know it, though it’s very silly, ’cause I’m not worth it.”
“Yes you are, Betty Lee. I’m not an old silly softy, Betty. You know that. I don’t go around having crushes and all that. But I like to be with you. And when Carolyn comes—” Kathryn could not finish her sentence.
Betty’s arm was around Kathryn now. “Listen, Kathryn—I’m glad you told me this, because if you hadn’t and had gone on and felt bad, when there wasn’t any need of it, it would have been horrid. But you know I do like Carolyn a lot, and will you feel bad if I show it? That would make it pretty hard for me, too. There isn’t any ‘best’ about it. I never thought about it at all. You know how wonderful Carolyn and Peggy have been to me, ever since I came to the high school as a scared little freshman, almost a year ago.”
“Yes; they’re my friends, too.”
“I’m not sure but I know you a little better than either of them now, after this queer summer and all our being together and having so much fun. Why, I shall look at you even in class when I think of something funny. And if you cast those gypsy eyes in my direction with that look of yours, when I’m reciting Latin or Math or something——”
Betty stopped to laugh, and Kathryn gave an answering chuckle. Tension was lessening. The idea of Kathryn’s feeling that way! Well, surprises were always happening.
“I like to have friends, Kathryn; and you have ever so many.”
“Yes, Betty, and I have sense enough to know that a girl like you will always have a great many, just like Carolyn.”
“I can’t see that either of us have more than you have. But that isn’t important, after all. Let me tell you what Mother said one time when the twins were fussing and Dick said that Mother liked Doris best. Mother pretty nearly said that there wasn’t any best about it. She said that she loved all her children to pieces, whatever they did; that each child had his own place in her heart, and that she didn’t even love them all together in a lump, just separately and a great deal. No child could take the place of another and she couldn’t even be happy in heaven unless we all were along!”