interweaving of her life into theirs--of the interweaving of all
the village lives going on about them--quite as much as those more
sober lives needed the brightening touch of theirs.

"Hilary! O Hilary!" Pauline called.

"I'm coming," Hilary answered, and went slowly down to where the others
were waiting on the porch.

"Has anything happened?" Pauline asked.

"I've been having a think--and I've come to the conclusion that we're a
selfish, self-absorbed set."

"Mother Shaw!" Pauline went to the study window, "please come out here.
Hilary's calling us names, and that isn't polite."

Mrs. Shaw came. "I hope not very bad names," she said.

Hilary swung slowly back and forth in the hammock. "I didn't mean it
that way--it's only--" She told what Patience had said about Jane's
joining the club, and then, rather reluctantly, a little of what she
had been thinking.

"I think Hilary's right," Shirley declared. "Let's form a deputation
and go right over and ask the poor old soul to join here and now."

"I would never've thought of it," Bell said. "But I don't suppose I've
ever given Jane a thought, anyway."

"Patty's mighty cute--for all she's such a terror at times," Pauline
admitted. "She knows a lot about the people here--and it's just
because she's interested in them."

"Come on," Shirley said, jumping up. "We're going to have another
honorary member."

"I think it would be kind, girls," Mrs. Shaw said gravely. "Jane will
feel herself immensely flattered, and I know of no one who upholds the
honor of Winton more honestly or persistently."

"And please, Mrs. Shaw," Shirley coaxed, "when we come back, mayn't
Patience Shaw, H. M., come down and have tea with us?"

"I hardly think--"

"Please, Mother Shaw," Hilary broke in; "after all--she started this,
you know. That sort of counterbalances the other, doesn't it?"

"Well, we'll see," her mother laughed.

Pauline ran to get one of the extra badges with which Shirley had
provided her, and then the four girls went across to the church.

Sextoness Jane was just locking the back door--not the least important
part of the afternoon's duties with her--as they came through the
opening in the hedge. "Good afternoon," she said cheerily, "was you
wanting to go inside?"

"No," Pauline answered, "we came over to invite you to join our club.
We thought, maybe, you'd like to?"

"My Land!" Jane stared from one to another of them. "And wear one of
them blue-