invite the girls up for the house party. Isn't she a dear to
think of it? We have chosen part of the girls and here is our list, but
you still have a choice. Of course we know whom you will choose, but we
thought we had better let you write the name. Come on! Hurry up."

Carl took the list and looked carefully through it. Then he said,

"That will be a fine party, fellows. I like that list. Let me see. That is
the last week in June, so Jane will be away. I'm sorry, for I should have
liked to have given her the fun. Well, as long as she can't go, I should
like to ask Elizabeth Wyman to go with us."

A chorus of boys' voices sounded as soon as the name was spoken.

"Elizabeth Wyman! Why do you want her? She doesn't go with our set. She
refused to go to the dance at the beach with us, though the whole club was
going. Said she didn't like the movie we were going to see. She wouldn't
vote for the Sunday picnic that we wanted. Oh, Carl, you don't want her.
She would spoil our fun. Choose another."

Carl let the boys talk all they chose and then he said,

"Fellows, if you insist, I will choose another, but I should prefer to
take Elizabeth. I'll be frank with you, I'm going to go with her if she
will let me and this would be a fine opportunity to get to know her."

"If she will let you--that is a joke. As if any girl would not let you,"
said John.

"No," said Carl, "I mean what I say. I am going to be her friend if she
will let me. And I'll tell you why--though I am not sure that she would
want me to do it. Still she told me the story in a very frank way, so I
don't think she would mind. At least I hope not. But I want you to know
her in the way I do, for if she is my friend you will be often with her.
After I tell you, you will understand why I say, 'If she will let me.'"

"It was the night of the snowstorm and I was coming up the street
when I caught up with her. It was very cold and she was snuggling
into a beautiful little neckpiece of ermine. I am fond of furs and so
I said to her,

"'I like the little ermine that you have about your neck. It is so
simple, yet so beautiful. It is very different from the large ones
that most people wear these days.'

"'Oh,' she said, 'I like it too. Uncle sent it to me this winter and
I love it because of the story he told me about the little animal
whose fur it is.'

"'Tell me the story,' I said.

"But she smiled and patted the fur as she said, 'I don