“Set the bags in the hall, girls, and come into the dining room,” Miss Remson directed as they entered the house. “I made a pitcher of tutti-frutti nectar, your old favorite, and Ellen baked three-layer cream cake this morning. Don’t tell me you have just had luncheon.”
“But we have,” Robin said regretfully. The others swelled the chorus. Vera had an inspiration. It dawned while the tall frosted glasses were being filled.
“Let us drink Miss Remson’s health in the nectar now and keep the cake for a spread when we come home tonight. Shades of the ten-thirty rule! We can’t even remember what you sound like.”
“There ain’t no such animal,” asserted Robin. “I thought we were to dine at Baretti’s but the mind of this aggregation seems to have changed.”
“That sounded like Jerry. Wish she were here. Giuseppe will have to miss seeing us tonight,” Vera said lightly. “I’m in favor of a spread instead of dinner. I know the rest of you are or I’d have been drowned out with objections when I proposed it.”
“The spread will be spread right here in the dining room,” Miss Remson announced. “I’ll expect you when I see you. You’ll find me in the office. As soon as you’re here the party will begin.”
“You are as good as gold to us, Miss Remson,” was Marjorie’s appreciation. Taking up her glass of delicious amber-colored punch with its tempting dashes of plump scarlet cherries she proposed a toast to their kindly friend.
“We forgot to tell you where we were going, Miss Remson,” Marjorie said apologetically when the commotion attending the drinking of the toast had subsided. “We’re going to Hamilton Arms to see Miss Susanna. Robin and I feel as though we could hardly go there soon enough to thank her for her latest perfectly splendid kindness to us. You must know about it?” She fixed inquiring eyes on the manager.
“Yes; Leila and Vera told me. We thought you would go to see her first of all.”
“I wish you were going with us,” Marjorie said regretfully.