Belle held up a pretty piece of blue denim on which she had begun to outline a pattern in white silk. "This is to be a sofa cushion," she said in answer to Nora's question. "People always like to buy them, and this shade of blue goes with almost anything."
"Oh, it's too sweet for anything," said Nora, enthusiastically.
"Yes, indeed," added Edith, with perfect sincerity. "You do such perfect needlework that I really envy you."
Both Nora and Edith were glad to praise Belle's skill, for although they knew that they themselves had been in the right, they realized that Belle would not feel very kindly toward them for not siding with her in the matter of Julia. Nora, like Edith, was a peacemaker, and both wished the afternoon to end as pleasantly as possible.
Belle was by no means indifferent to the praise of her friends. She really could do very fine embroidery and she took considerable pride in her work.
"I never could have patience to do anything like that," said Nora, whose specialty was crocheting. "I like to do something that I needn't look at all the time. I could crochet an afghan almost in the dark."
"Yes, but an afghan is such an endless piece of work."
"Well, I don't suppose I'll make many of them for the Bazaar."
"I should say not," said Edith. "What are you going to do first, Brenda? You haven't had a needle in your hand this afternoon."
"I know it, I know it," cried Brenda, the heedless. "But I can't think what to begin first," and she opened the bottom drawer of her bureau, where were displayed a tangled heap of linen and floss and gold thread and silk plush and other materials for fancy work which she had bought at different times. There were cushion covers and doilies in which a few stitches had been taken, only to be thrown aside for something else, and some of them were in so soiled a condition that they were not likely to be good for anything.