Aunt Louise will let her go?"

"I think it will depend on who are going."

"There'll be lots of older people and teachers from our church and both
the other churches, too."

"Any of your mother's particular friends?"

"I shouldn't be a bit surprised if Grandmother and Grandfather went
themselves."

"Then your mother won't have any objection."

"That would settle the question for Dorothy, too, I should think," said
Edward. "Are you taking outsiders along?"

"Outsiders?"

"New Yorkers. Della and Tom, for instance?"

"Oh, is there any chance of Mrs. Watkins's letting them go?"

"I'll suggest it if you think they'd be welcome."

"I don't see why they wouldn't be. Mr. Wheeler wants to have as many as
possible because the more there are the better rates he can make with
the railroad and at the hotel."

"Why don't you stir up the Hancock's?"

"The whole U. S. C.? Why not? It would be just too glorious," and Ethel
proceeded to dance her butterfly dance around the room.

"Talk it over this evening," advised Edward, taking up his hat.

"Going?" inquired Ethel.

"I might as well--I mean, I must go, thank you," responded the doctor
automatically, for she had said nothing to be thanked for.

It was a charming table around which the Club seated itself at the
Watkinses'. Mr. and Mrs. Watkins sat at the head and foot and Della and
Tom in the center of the sides.

"I ran in to see the baby a minute before I left," Ethel Blue explained
to Mrs. Watkins, "and Dr. Watkins was there and he asked me to tell you
that Aunt Louise had invited him to stay to dinner."

"Edward is becoming a very uncertain character, like all doctors," said
Edward's mother.

"I think he is," remarked Ethel Brown to Ethel Blue who sat beside her.
"He was just saying 'Good-bye' to Miss Gertrude when I left, and he must
have stayed on after all."

Everybody had contributed something to the table decorations, but no one
had seen them all assembled and they all paid themselves and each other
compliments on the prettiness of the various parts and Della and Dorothy
on the effectiveness of the whole.

In the center was a glowing centerpiece made of three scarlet paper
hearts, each about eight inches high placed with the pointed ends up and
the lower corners touching so that they made a three-sided cage over the
electric light. From the top a tiny Cupid aimed his arrow at the guests
before him. Della and Tom had designed this warm-hearted lanter