Alene, who was an only child, envied Laura's claim to two small sisters and a baby brother and one brother older than herself.
"Ivy is the only girl in the Bonner family."
"Like me!"
"Not quite—she has six brothers, four of them older than she is!"
"Gracious, I'd be lost in such a crowd of boys!"
As for the Club, it had formal meetings when an excursion to the woods or an exhibition was in view; then verbal notice was given to assemble at the home of one of the members. The other meetings were when two or more members met by chance or appointment for any object, whether study, play or conversation.
"So you see this is a meeting of two members, and I think I see a third," concluded the President, Miss Lee, craning her neck in the direction of the side street.
"Hello, Lol," cried a shrill voice, and Ivy's curly head peeped over the wall.
"I'll go and help her over," said Laura, rising quickly. As the wall was not very high, Alene idly wondered why such an active-looking girl should need assistance in scaling it.
"Why, I never dreamed she was lame," she murmured a moment later, swallowing something that seemed to choke her, when she saw Ivy coming forward on a pair of slender crutches. She strove to hide her emotion as she hurried down the grassy terrace to greet her.