“On the other hand, it costs a good deal to have a particular design made up, or might, anyway, and I did not want to have you girls put to a great expense. I really wanted to have the privilege of presenting the pins to you, but when I consulted with Betty about it she was quite doubtful. Still, I think it would be mean for me not to do what I want, when I was so self-sacrificing in making that design!” Cathalina’s smile beamed on them as she said that, for all of them knew what fun it had been to her to work out the idea. Various expressions were on the faces of the girls. Eloise sat with her face in her hands, chin uptilted, her elbows on her knees, her bright eyes fixed on Cathalina.
“Make your argument good, Cathalina,” said the judge’s daughter, “if you expect to convince us of anything we don’t want to do.”
“I’m hoping that you will want to do it, Lilian,” replied Cathalina, “by the time I get through, besides wanting to congratulate me!”
“Mercy! She’s engaged to the jeweler, perhaps! He couldn’t let such a designer go!”
“You haven’t come so far from it, Lil, after all,” said Cathalina. “The jeweler wrote about the designs—you know I made several—and offered to make the pins and give me fifty dollars besides if I would give him the exclusive right to the designs!”
“Why, Cathalina! You little old artist! What a pity that you aren’t poor enough to be ‘saved from starvation’ or something!” So said Isabel.
“O, I’m crazy about the money!” said Cathalina, to the girls’ great surprise. “It’s the first money I ever earned, and while I think that art is above all money, I can’t help be glad that mine is good enough to be wanted and have some money value!”
“Well, maybe we aren’t proud of you!” said Lilian. “Tell us what you want and it is yours to the half of our kingdoms!”
“Just this, girls; you see that the pins haven’t really cost me a cent, that making the designs has brought me something unexpected both in money and ‘fame,’ and so I would feel dreadful if you all could not have some share in the good fortune too.”
“We’ll think about it,” said Pauline.