At this moment who should appear but Mary, with a plate of warm spicy
cookies! The climax of sociability was reached!

"Miss Brown, is it hard to knit?--to learn, I mean," Louise asked
presently, looking admiringly at the bright wools the lady was working
with.

"Not at all; I learned when I was a little girl."

"I should like to know how, it is such pretty soft work," said Bess.

"I shall be very glad to teach you. We might have a knitting class for
rainy afternoons."

"And after awhile perhaps we could make an afghan for Uncle William!"
cried Louise delightedly. "Wouldn't that be fun, Bess?"

"If it would not be a trouble to Miss Brown."

"It would be a great pleasure to me," she answered, smiling at the
bright faces.

"It would be nice--" Bess began.

"Well, dear, what?" as she hesitated.

"I don't know whether I ought to ask you, for it might be a bother to
you, but I was thinking how nice it would be to have a club, and ask
Dora and Elsie."

"Bess, that is a _lovely_ plan!" exclaimed her sister.

Miss Brown thought so too, and said if the others would like it she
should be glad to have them, and she suggested that they bring their
friends to talk the matter over on the next Saturday afternoon.

In discussing the club Bess and Louise forgot their disappointment,
and were astonished to find how late it was when Joanna came for them.

"There _was_ a bright spot, after all," said Louise as they were
putting on their waterproofs. "If we had gone to the country we might
never have thought of the club."

Some days later the postman had three most important notes to deliver
to Miss Dora Warner, Miss Elsie Morris, and Miss Constance Myer.

This is the way they read:

You are requested to be present at the Brown house next Saturday
afternoon, to organize a knitting club. Please come early.

Truly yours,

BESS HAZELTINE.
LOUISE HAZELTINE.

Much time and thought were expended on these invitations, and the
importance of the senders was only equalled by the curiosity and
interest of the girls who received them.

Aunt Zelie insisted that five were as many as Miss Brown ought to
have. "For you know she is not used to such lively young ladies as you
and Elsie and Do--"

"Not _Dora_, Auntie!" cried Bess; "she is perfect, and never makes a
noise."

Mrs. Howard laughed, and went to see the lady of the Brown house,
fearing she wa