“Yes, yes,” Barbara answered. “That’s awfully good of you, Cara, but I am honestly on the point of sending my very late regrets. I really should not have accepted.”
“Why Barbara!” almost shrieked Cara at the other end of the wire but the telephone voice was of course, pouring into Barbara’s ear, “I just couldn’t have the party without you. You’ve got to come. Don’t mind about the little dance,” went on distracted Cara. “I shouldn’t have told you only I thought you would want to know.”
“I do, Cara. And it’s lovely of you to call me up.” Barbara hesitated. Cara had just called her to say there would be a little dance and she might want to fetch something different for it. And that had added to Barbara’s misery, for what had she different to take?
Long and ardent pleas and protestations were coming over the wire, for Cara had counted much upon the presence of Barbara at her party, but now, at the last moment, the much-desired one was hesitating.
There was no questioning the sincerity of Cara Burke. Unspoiled by all her advantages, she was so worth-while a girl that Barbara found it very difficult indeed to ignore her advances.
“It’s so good of you,” Barbara repeated. “But you see, I——” she paused, and instantly Cara filled the gap.
“You know, my brother Dudley thinks you and your friend Glenn are just about right,” Cara chuckled, “and he promised to get Glenn to come to our little dance if I could get you to come to the party.”
“Really!” laughed Barbara. “Glenn’s an awful stick—I mean he’s what we call a real stude, student you know,” Barbara explained. “But is he going?”
“Dud says he is, and that’s why you really couldn’t disappoint me; now could you, Barbara?”
“After all that? It would be ungrateful I know, Cara. But clothes—”