Nan tried to smile, but failed, and Ruth was too full of her own affairs to notice.
"We're going to start at eight sharp. First we thought we'd pick up the party as we went along, but Mrs. Cole said it would waste too much time, so we're all going to meet at her house. I've so much on my mind my head's spinning. Be sure you're on hand at eight. We're not going to wait for any one."
"O Ruth!" faltered Nan, flinging out a detaining hand as the girl was about to go. "I'm not going. Didn't I tell you?"
Ruth stopped short and gazed at her in bewilderment.
"Not going! What on earth do you mean?"
"I can't go; that's all," stammered Nan, flushing hotly at the seeming weakness of the confession.
Ruth stared at her blankly.
"Well, I like that!" she enunciated at length.
"Why, I told you, didn't I?" asked Nan.
"Told me what? That you weren't going? Well, I should say not. Miss Blake said you couldn't but you said flat down you would, and, of course, I believed you. Don't you remember the last words you said as I went away that day were that I could count on you? And so, of course, I counted."