dly correct you publicly, and,
when it was all over, I forgot. I am only vice-president, just as Mrs.
Fenholtz says."
Mrs. Fenholtz smiled. "Well, I am not even an officeholder in our club,"
she said, "although I was at one time. I have no doubt you will prefer
to be introduced by a vice-president rather than a mere member; and I am
sure Mrs. Black is planning for you to attend one of the Guild meetings,
so I mustn't interfere."
Annette was visibly flurried. The Scarford Chapter was the one subject
which she had carefully avoided that evening. But between it and the
Woman's Club there was a bitter rivalry, and, although she had not been
at all anxious to act as sponsor for her friend from the country,
now that Mrs. Fenholtz had offered to do so and had placed the
responsibility squarely on her shoulders, she could not dodge.
"Why--why, of course," she said. "That was understood. We have had so
many things to talk about this evening that I had really forgotten it,
my dear Mrs. Dott. I had indeed! When," she hesitated, "when could you
make it convenient to attend one of our meetings? Of course I know how
busy you are just now in your new home, and I shall not be unreasonable.
I shouldn't, of course, expect you to attend the NEXT meeting."
"Oh," said the unconscious Serena, "I'm not so busy as all that. I could
go to the next meeting just as well as not. I should love to."
They entered the drawing-room, to find Captain Dan and the Honorable
Oscar still deep in the engine discussion and Mr. Black sound asleep in
his chair. Roused by his indignant wife, he drowsily inquired if it
was time to get up, and then, becoming aware of the realities of the
situation, hastily explained that he had been thinking about business
affairs and had forgotten where he was.
"Going, Annette, are you?" he asked.
Annette tartly observed that she was going, and added that she judged it
high time to do so. Mrs. Fenholtz said that she and her husband must be
going, also.
"But we shall hope to see a great deal of you and Mr.--I should say
Captain Dott," she said. "You must dine with us very soon. I will set an
evening and you mustn't say no."
"That is right," said Mr. Fenholtz heartily. "Captain, some of these
days you and I will take a gouple of days and go down and look at that
boat. If she does not go then, we will put an 'egspert' in her and sink
them both. What?"
Altogether, it was a wonderful evening. The only fly in the o
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