When the Robinson girls called on Cora the next afternoon she had about completed her plans for the lawn fete. It was to be a novel affair, and almost all the eligible young folks of Chelton were to be invited.
"All," declared Cora, "except Sid Wilc.o.x. He simply shall not come."
"But how can you leave him out?" questioned Bess. "Especially as you are going to ask Ida and others in that set."
"I simply will not have him," insisted Cora, "and I don"t care what any one thinks about it. He is too--too impertinent to be polite, and I will not run the risk of having him offend some one."
Secretly Cora was thinking of his last transgression, and it afforded her no small consolation to note that her particular friends had not heard of the stolen ride.
Belle, "relaxing" on the low divan in the library window, just where the sun could help her out on the rest theory, was too deeply buried in thought to make rash comment on Cora"s decision. She wanted everything simply perfect, and to shape plans with such precision was no easy matter.
"Of course,--you will ask the Sheldons," she finally venture.
"Of course," answered Cora. "But, Belle, we expected a more important remark after such forethought on your part."
"And the Winters," went on the serene one, not noticing the bit of sarcasm.
"Yes; and I have a new star," said Cora quickly. "Who ever do you imagine she can be?"
"I know," declared Bess. "She is Paul"s sister."
"Who told you?" demanded Cora.
"Not a soul," Bess a.s.sured her; "but I saw you out in your car with her this morning. Isn"t she nice."
"Very. But being nice is not her strongest point. She is--brainy."
"O-h-h-h!" sighed Bess. "Then let"s not take her up. Belle has brains enough for one town."
"But Hazel isn"t that kind. Isn"t that a pretty name?" demanded Cora quickly. "She has a different sort of brains. She is a student of nature--biology and evolution, to be exact."
"Perhaps she could tell what makes Bess so--so fat," suggested Belle with marked sarcasm.
"Or what makes you so thin," retaliated Bess.
"At any rate, she is a very sweet girl," declared Cora, "and I"m most anxious for you to meet her. At the same time I am afraid you will like her a lot better than you do me."
"Cora Kimball!" exclaimed Bess. "As if any one could be more likable than you--to us!"
"Oh, I don"t know," sighed Cora. "There"s Jack."
"Well--er--he"s nice--just because he"s your brother," replied Bess a bit awkwardly.
"Now for plans," said Cora suddenly, wishing to change the subject, as it was becoming too personal. "We must get the cards out to-morrow. Every one must be masked--that"s settled--and we"ll try to confine the characters to--"
"The Roman period," interrupted Belle. "That will make it pretty."
"I wonder how the boys will take it?" asked Bess. "I shouldn"t wonder if they all came as gladiators."
"Or some such character as Nero," added Belle.
"As long as they don"t try to emulate him on his burning Rome affair," came from Cora.
"And every one must keep his or her costume a secret," went on Belle, who was nervous with enthusiasm. "I am not even going to let Bess know whit mine will be."
"All right, sister," replied Bess, glancing at her tiny, enameled watch; "but pray don"t be too--too spirituelle. That is, if there were any Roman spirits."
"There was Roman punch!" laughed Cora merrily. "I believe I would like to be Roman punch, if it"s not too strong."
"And served up to--" began Bess.
"The gentleman with whom she was riding yesterday afternoon,"
finished Belle. "The idea of a young lady going out motoring in a morning dress--"
"Bareheaded," chimed in Bess, and a laugh followed.
"Come to think of it, girls," spoke Cora, making an effort to get back to the party, "I do not think we ought to confine this fete to any particular period. Suppose some one wants to be--well, say, Priscilla--and has been wanting to be Priscilla all her life."
"That"s right," agreed Bess. "It"s just like you, Cora, to think all around a thing. Yes, I vote for a masked fete. Any sort of a costume, so long as we are masked."
Belle also agreed that this would be a better plan than the one first proposed, and then the trio of girls busied themselves over the invitation list. There was no time to spare, as the "doings"
must come off before Mrs. Kimball"s trip to Bermuda, for which she was preparing.
"And you feel you must invite Ida?" asked Bess. "I am sure she is almost as certain to do something rude as Sid would be."
"Yes, we had better have her," declared Cora, putting down Ida"s name on the long list. "Ida is not really mean--she is rather unfortunate--and I think, as she has been in Chelton so long it would be unkind to leave her out."
"I hardly think she will come," commented Belle. "She has been so--so snippy lately."
"Well, we"ll ask her, at any rate. And, now, don"t forget, we are all to keep our costumes secret."
"Oh, won"t it be jolly!" sang out Bess. "I can scarcely wait."
"And to think of having it after dark, without chaperons to look after us!" exclaimed Belle. "I doubt if some of the stiff girls will be allowed to come on that account."
"Then we"ll have a better time without the stiffs," declared the young hostess. "I"m sure our patronesses are protection enough, and mother is going to delay her trip a few days on purpose to be on hand."
"Oh, of course," Belle hurried to explain, "I think it is just perfectly all right and delicious, but I was just speculating on the kind who may be jealous."
"And is Paul coming?" asked Bess. She was always so self-conscious when she asked a question like that.
"Why, of course," answered Cora, "and also his sister Hazel. I particularly like them both, and Jack, who has met Paul, agrees that he is a very nice young man."
"Expert opinion, I suppose," murmured Belle.
They talked in jolly mood for some time longer, and the twins were about to leave for home when a shout out in the street attracted their attention.
"What"s that?" asked Cora, starting up.