“I always feel when I am half through such a task as this hospital fund raising,” said Jessie’s mother, “that I will never undertake anything of the kind again. Something or other—sometimes several ‘others’—is sure to arise to balk us, no matter how good the cause may be. I don’t know what to say to the other women on the committee.”
“Withdraw just as Mrs. Ringold has done,” suggested Mr. Norwood, who was not of a politic nature, if he was a lawyer.
“I can’t do that, Robert, you very well know,” replied his wife. “And I fear our entertainment will go wrong, besides. That chorus——”
In fact, it was the chorus of girls led by Miss Allister that next brought the committee trouble. On Saturday afternoon the chorus had been called to meet at the parish house of Dr. Stanley’s church for additional rehearsal. When the teacher gathered the crowd there were several missing—all of them being friends and associates of Belle Ringold and Sally Moon. They sent verbal messages that they had dropped out of the chorus for good!
“And what can I do?” cried Miss Allister in despair. “There are not enough girls left to call it a chorus. And they cannot sing the numbers properly. It is a failure. I shall have to withdraw the chorus from the broadcasting entertainment, Mrs. Norwood.”
But Jessie’s mother and the other members of the hospital committee who had remained faithful to the good cause were at least in part prepared for Miss Allister’s announcement.
“There is twenty minutes of time on the program to fill,” said Mrs. Norwood, to her daughter and her chum. “You two girls do so well with your song and recitation, I am greatly tempted to let you do more.”
“Do, do, Mrs. Norwood!” begged Amy eagerly. “And let us show you what a nice trio Jess and Nell Stanley and I have. I’ll run and get Nell now, and we can try it in the Sunday School room. I know you will like it.”
“You are a dear girl,” said the worried Roselawn matron. “I’ll listen to you in ten minutes and will bring some of the other ladies. We have another rehearsal at Stratfordtown on Monday. I hope you girls can fill the vacant place.”
“Leave it to us!” cried Amy gaily. “Why, next to Madame Elva and the jazz band, we’ll be the best numbers of the whole entertainment.”