“Anyway, I don’t believe, and I don’t intend to believe unless I have to, that little Henrietta or any of her friends had anything to do with the disappearance of that watch. So there!” And Jessie went on with her work rather grimly.
CHAPTER VI
BELLE SNIFFS AT IT
The Junior League of the Church held a business meeting that afternoon, and Jessie and Amy, having completed the restringing of the aerial and, as Amy said, opened communication again with the ether, the two chums walked downtown to the parish house. Dr. Stanley’s church with the parsonage on one side and the parish house on the other, faced Bonwit Boulevard, but it was only on the edge of Roselawn. His was a large parish.
This latter fact was the reason why Belle Ringold and most of her friends attended the same church, as well as the same day school, as Jessie and Amy. The former girls lived nearer to New Melford proper. Naturally, among the young people, there was some little rivalry between the Roselawn circle and these others.
On this afternoon the main topic of discussion was of the interest the church societies were bound to take in the new hospital. All clubs and institutional societies were bound to lend a hand in so noble a work as this proposed. Dr. Stanley had spoken more than once from the pulpit of the proposed raising of a foundation fund for the hospital.
“Oh, we’ve got to do something, of course,” Belle Ringold said rather crossly. “It’s expected. But I do think that we girls ought to have our time to ourselves between school terms.”
“Why, it will be fun,” said Amy, overhearing this complaint. “How do you want to spend your time this summer, anyway, Belle?”
“Not working like a regular slave in some show or bazaar, or some other money-making scheme. Of course, you younger girls don’t mind. You have few social duties——”
“My! My! Hear ye!” chuckled Amy, who seldom got offended by them but always made fun of Belle’s airs. “Whom are you entertaining, Miss Ringold? The Prince De Kakyak? Your time is so fully occupied, I know. Oh, de-ah, yes!”
Jessie pulled her chum’s sleeve in warning while Belle’s eyes flashed.