With a grinding of brakes the train came to a standstill, and the crowd gave way to let them pass. Clutching the little bouquets tight and hoping desperately that they would not cry, the girls started for the train.
At the bottom of the steps Betty turned and faced them.
"You dear people," she began, but choked and had to try again. "I—we—want to thank you——" Then, as two tears forced their way through and rolled unchecked down her face, she turned and ran up the car steps.
"All we can say," she added, smiling unsteadily down at them as the train began to move, "is, just that we—we—love you all!"
CHAPTER XVI
THE HOSTESS HOUSE
Once settled comfortably in the seats, the girls smiled across at each other unsteadily.
"We didn't deserve it," said Amy, brushing away a tiresome tear that would insist upon trickling down her face.
"None of us did, except Betty," said Grace, recovering enough to open the chocolate box she had thoughtfully purchased at a drug store. "She was the one who really thought up all the things, and all we did was follow where she led."
"That's foolish, and you know it is," said Betty, beginning to get indignant. "I'd like to know how much of it I could have done without you girls! And of course the boys helped wonderfully, too."