“It’s the worst example of pure and unadulterated nerve I’ve ever heard of,” cried Jane Pellew inelegantly.
“It’s even worse,” agreed Sarah Manning with equal fervor.
“I, for one, refuse to consent to it,” coldly declared Emmeline Cerrito.
“Let’s hear Ruth out before we condemn her,” smiled peace-loving Anne Follett.
“We’ve heard too much already,” grumbled Frances Bliss. For once her merry face looked decidedly glum.
“I suppose I ought to have begun at the very beginning and gradually led up to the awful revelation.” Ruth’s brown eyes roved wistfully from one to the other of her belligerent chums. “It simply goes to show that I’m no diplomat. But I thought I might as well say the worst first and do most of my explaining afterward.”
“I can’t see that there’s much more to explain,” sputtered Jane. “You’ve told us why Blanche Shirly has seen fit to invite herself to a strictly private reunion, but I can’t see why we should martyr ourselves for a whole month, just because Blanche’s mother has decided to go off to a sanatorium and leave her darling daughter at home with the housekeeper and a companion. I should say that her place is with her mother, sanatorium or no sanatorium.”
“Blanche says her mother doesn’t wish her to go there with her,” reminded Ruth patiently, “because Blanche makes her nervous.”
“Her mother appears to know Blanche almost as well as we do,” commented Frances wickedly.
“So it would seem,” giggled Sarah.