“Just imagine having three rooms for company!” gasped Esther. “I’m lucky to get an extra cot in my own room and the attic privilege while we’re down here. But you can invite a whole tribe to stay days with you.”
“Now girls!” spoke Cara, sighing a little as if in despair at their attitude, “don’t get the idea that a big house and a flock of servants make a lot of fun. They don’t. We had better times when we camped in a lovely wide-open bungalow out on the bluff, where you didn’t dare leave the front door open without danger of blowing out at the back door. Oh me, oh my!” she sighed. “Them was the days! When I ate molasses cookies without fear of fatness. But we are not getting at the important point of asking Barbara. Haven’t you anything else to propose? It will be time to dress before we decide a single thing.”
“Why not call on her? She’s not anything to be afraid of, is she?” This was Esther, of course.
“No.” Cara paused, thoughtfully. “But she is, I know, a busy girl, and one doesn’t want to ‘bust’ in on a high-brow just as she’s in the act of discovering some scientific—oh, whatever it is they discover, you know,” she floundered. “Besides, it would look so important if I called. As if my party was really going to be a party instead of a row. I’m sure it will end in a row, you know,” Cara was prettiest when she laughed.
“Cara Burke! You just want to make believe it isn’t going to be wonderful when you know very well it is,” pouted Louise. “But if you want Barbara Hale so badly, I’ll manage somehow to see her, and I’ll ask her if you want me to.”
“Want you to! I’d love you to. I just want Barbara, well, for more than one reason, but one is because Dud declares she wouldn’t bother with such silly little things as he claims we are. I want to show him.”
“Oh, that’s it.” Esther’s lip curled and she was now acting very grown up indeed.
“Does Dud know Barbara?” Louise wanted to know.
“That’s just it. She’s sort of, what he calls, elusive. They just know her enough to be curious about her.”
“I don’t think she’s so wonderfully pretty,” commented Esther again. “And I’m certain sure she’s not rich!”