I don't believe she has
gone to bed yet."

Her mother left the room, and while Edna unlaced her shoes, she listened
for her return. In a few minutes she heard voices on the stair and
realized that Reliance was coming up. "We haven't said a word about it
yet," she nodded to Reliance who came in behind Mrs. Conway. "You begin,
Reliance."

"No, you," said Reliance drawing back shyly.

"Well," began Edna, addressing her mother, "you see the girls want to
get up a club something like ours, only not just like it, and they don't
want the same name either. There aren't such a lot of girls here,
because there are so many more old people than young ones in this
village, and so you see--what kind of club would be nice, mother?"

"Why, dearie, I shall have to think it over."

"We ought to decide very soon," said Edna, "for I should hate to go away
without knowing. Could Reliance bring Letty Osgood home with her from
school to-morrow? I lent you to her, too, and maybe by that time you
might think of something?"

"We'll ask grandma about it, dear, though I am sure she will not object.
Is that all now?"

Edna thought it was, and now that she was ready to pop into bed,
Reliance left her with a happy "Good-night!" It was like sunshine in the
house to have such a dear little girl as Edna, she thought as she went
downstairs, and though Amanda reprimanded her sharply for not being in
bed, she did not answer back, for, in fact, she scarcely heard her, so
busy was she with pleasant thoughts, and so excited over the idea of the
club.

The next morning, Edna and her mother did a great deal of talking about
the new club, so much, in fact, that when it was time for Reliance to
return from school, Edna was on the lookout for her, feeling that she
had so much to tell that there should be no time wasted. "Here they
come, mother," she sang out. "Reliance and Letty. May I bring them
right up here?"

"To be sure you may."

"I'm going down to tell Amanda to 'scuse Reliance for just a few
minutes." She flew downstairs to the kitchen. "'Manda," she said,
"mother is going to talk over something very important with Reliance and
Letty, so will you please not call her for a few minutes? I'll help her
set the table."

"It seems to me you are making too much of Reliance," returned Amanda;
"she can't be brought up to look for nothing but ease and pleasure; she
will have to work for her living."

"But this isn't anything that is going to keep he