Pauline was entirely within the door by this time and the girls saw that she carried a good-sized basket. “Excuse my appearance, ladies, but I didn’t take time to dress up, was afraid that you would be suffering for food, and this basket arrived yesterday from my sister. We are just getting about in our suite. I meant to save this till tonight, but thought that we really needed it more this morning.” Pauline threw back the papers and disclosed a large cake in a box, packed about with fruit of various sorts and other interesting packages. “Or can’t you eat cake in the morning?” she added.
“Pauline, you life-saver!” exclaimed Betty. “Of course we can eat cake!”
“And Eloise will be in in a minute with some cocoa for you. Get you cups ready. And may we ‘have the borry’ of your big knife to cut this?”
The girls flew around to find the knife and wash the cups free from dust. “I see that you have oranges,” said Pauline, “but you must have a banana apiece and some grapes, and look at these!”
“Doughnuts!” exclaimed Lilian. “Home-made!”
Amid the exclamations and thanks of the girls, Pauline put out some fruit upon a plate that Cathalina brought her, cut the cake in generous slices for each one, handed around the doughnuts, and with apologies for being hurried, disappeared. “I have to attend to my starving family,” said she, “though Eloise was the only one up when I left. The others will be waited upon in state.”
Eloise was warmly welcomed when she appeared with the steaming cocoa. “Perhaps we, too, might have had enough energy to make cocoa if we had had the inspiration of that basket,” said Hilary.
“I didn’t feel as sleepy as the rest,” replied Eloise, “and when I found that Helen had a little headache I thought she ought to have something hot, consequently I made this for the crowd.”
“How I regret eating those crackers, such a waste of space!” said Hilary, looking fondly at a doughnut.
“It does not trouble me,” said Betty, “I can’t see any effect upon my appetite. When you get through, come and tell us what sort of a time you had last night.”