hey have to. Now if we had a play--"

"Yes," said Elsie Morris, "a play would be the very nicest thing. I've
brought two books for us to look over. One's that Shakespeare thing, and
the other is called 'A Reunion at Mother Goose's.' It's awfully funny; I
think it's better than the Shakespeare."

"I think Mother Goose things are silly," said Ethel Holmes. "Who wants to
go around dressed up like Little Bo-peep, and say 'Ba, ba, black sheep,'
all the time?"

"Yes, or who wants to be Red Riding Hood's wolf and eat up Mary's
little lamb?"

"Oh, it isn't like that; it's a reunion, you know, and all the Mother
Goose children are grown up, and they talk about old times."

"It does sound nice," said Patty, "let's read it."

They read both the plays, and so interested were they in the reading and
discussing them that before they knew it the afternoon slipped away, and
Pansy Potts came in to announce that the tea was ready.

"Goodness," cried Patty, "I forgot all about it! Come on, girls, we can
discuss the play just as well at the table."

"Yes, and better," said Elsie.

Such a shout of exclamation as went up from the Tea Club girls when they
saw Patty's table.

"Why didn't you tell us there was to be a wedding?" said Ethel, "and we
would have brought presents."

"Is it an African jungle?" said Laura, "or is it only Smith's flower
store moved up here bodily?"

"I think it looks like a page out of the _Misses' Home Guide_" said
Polly Stevens. "You ought to have this table photographed, it would take
the first prize! But where are we going to eat? Surely you don't expect
us to sit down at this Louis XlV. gimcrack?"

"Nonsense," said Patty. "I fixed it up pretty because I thought it would
please you. If you don't like it--"

"Oh, we like it," cried Christine Converse, "we love it! We want to take
it home with us and put it under a glass case."

"Stop your nonsense, girls," said Marian, who had noticed Patty's rising
colour, "and take your places. It's a beautiful party, and a lot too good
for such ungrateful wretches! If you can read writing, you'll find your
names on your cards."

"I can read writing," said Lillian Desmond, "but not such elegant gold
curlycues as these. Won't you please spell it out for me, Miss
Fairfield?"

"Oh, take any place you choose," said Patty, laughing good-naturedly. She
didn't really mind their chaff, but she began to think herself that she
had been a little absurd.

Then Pansy br