Mrs. Barlow looked somewhat relieved, but not altogether satisfied.
“I hate to have the children go away again so soon,” she complained. “I never would have given my consent if Mr. Barlow hadn’t been so busy with war work that I don’t see much prospect of our getting out of town for ages.”
“I do wish Mother hadn’t given up Mental Science,” Geraldine whispered to Gretel. “We were all so comfortable while she was a Mental Scientist. She gave it up after Jerry had pneumonia. She said he never would have had it if she had taken better care of him, and made him wear rubbers in bad weather. Oh, here comes Mr. Chester. I saw him at Molly’s party last Christmas.” And Gretel hurried forward to announce their arrival to her friend’s father.
Mr. Chester, a gray-haired gentleman with spectacles, greeted the party very pleasantly, and after a few moments of chatting with the ladies, carried the three young people off to the waiting train. As they passed through the ticket gate, Mrs. Barlow’s last “Now do be sure to take good care of yourselves, children,” was still ringing in their ears.
It was just as the train was moving out of the station that a sudden recollection caused Gretel to utter an exclamation of dismay.
“Good gracious!” she gasped. “I forgot all about Fräulein.”
“What about her?” inquired Geraldine in surprise.
“Why, I was to have gone to tea at her aunt’s this afternoon. I never once thought of it since Molly’s invitation came. Oh, what shall I do?”
“I don’t see that you can do anything about it except write a note, telling her you are sorry you forgot,” said Geraldine. “Don’t look as if something tragic had happened. It isn’t such a terrible crime to forget an invitation to afternoon tea.”
“I think it is rather tragic, though,” said Gretel, smiling ruefully. “I ought to have telephoned yesterday. Fräulein is so sensitive; she will be sure to think I did it on purpose. The worst of it is, I really didn’t want to go in the first place, and I am afraid she noticed it.”