"Here's a state of things," exclaimed Edith, "another book bill for books that were burned. Isn't that the limit?"
"Yes, and you'll borrow from me again," said Katherine. "And I shall refuse to lend you another cent. You are getting entirely too crazy about buying books."
Nobody took any notice of this sisterly dialogue which went on continuously and never had any real meaning, because in the end Katherine always paid her sister's debts.
Nance's gaze shifted to Molly, who might have been turned into a graven image, so still was she sitting. She had not opened the letter from home, but the long envelope from the real estate company lay at her feet. In one hand she held a typewritten letter and in the other a long blue slip of paper which, beyond a doubt, was a check. Picking up the envelope, Molly gave a covert glance around the absorbed circle and slipped the check inside. Then she noticed Nance gazing at her curiously. She smiled, and then began to laugh so joyously that everybody stopped reading and regarded her almost anxiously. There was a peculiar ring of excitement in her voice.
"Molly, hasn't something awfully nice happened to you?" asked Nance.
"Why, yes," she answered, "to tell the truth, there has."
"What is it? What is it?" cried the chorus of voices.
Molly hesitated and blushed, and laughed again.
"I don't think you would believe it if I were to tell you," she said. "It's too absurd. I can hardly believe it myself, even after reading the letter and seeing the—the——"
"The what, Molly?" demanded Judy, beside herself with curiosity.