"She asked us to. Of course we call her by her name. She's going to be our sister."
The Ethels looked quite depressed, for calling Miss Gertrude by her first name was a privilege they knew they never should have.
"I was inquiring what we're going to give Gertrude as a Club. We Watkinses are going to give her something as a family, and Delia and I have each picked out a special present from us ourselves--"
"That's the way we're doing," came from the Mortons.
"--but I think it would be nice to give her something from the whole of us, because if it hadn't been for the Club and the Club baby she wouldn't have come here at all."
"Let's put our colossal intellects on it," urged Roger.
"If we could think of something that no one else would give her--"
"And that would remind her of us and the things the Club does."
"The Club makes furniture," laughed Roger, "but I shouldn't suggest that we repeat our latest triumph and give her a sideboard made of old boxes."
They all roared, but James came up with a serious expression after a roll that took him some distance away from his friends.