atch me," returned Dorothy. "I don't want to go with
such a horrid story-teller as she is. I shouldn't think you would,
either."

Edna said not a word, but still hoped.

CHAPTER VIII

THE FRIENDLESS FRIENDS

Margaret came to school in great excitement one Monday morning. "I'm
going to have a party," she said to Edna. "I'll tell you all about it at
recess."

The idea of Margaret's really having a party was most interesting when
Edna remembered that it had been just a year since she was adopted by
Mrs. MacDonald. She had improved very much in this time, both in speech
and manner, and no happier child could be found than she. To be sure she
had everything to make her happy, as Dorothy often said, a beautiful
home, a kind mother and friends who took pains to make her forget how
forlorn she had once been. She was very grateful for all these things,
and rarely asked for anything more than was offered to her, so that Mrs.
MacDonald was all the more ready to give her pleasures which she did not
ask for.

Jennie and Dorothy were admitted into the little group which gathered to
hear about the party. "Tell us all about it, Margaret," said Edna. "Just
begin at the beginning."

"Well," said Margaret, "mother was saying to me on Saturday evening,
'Margaret, do you know it is almost a year since you became my own
little daughter? Now I think we ought to celebrate the day of your
coming to your home. What would you like to do?' So I thought and
thought, and then I said, 'I never had a party in all my life, would it
be too much to celebrate by having one?' and she said, 'Not at all,
though I should first like to know what girls you would like to
invite,' and I told her all the G. R. Club. 'Anyone else?' she asked,
and I thought of Nettie Black. 'I'd like to have Nettie,' I said, and
then I remembered how lonely I used to be even at the Friendless, and
how glad I used to be when you came to see me, Edna, and I thought of
two or three who were still there, girls who haven't been adopted, and I
said I'd like to have them. Then mother said, 'Very well, only the
others may not want to come if you have poor children like them, and
you'd better ask the girls, and if they refuse you can make up your mind
which you would rather have, the girls of the club or the
Friendlessers.'"

"Oh, Margaret, you know we won't care," said Edna earnestly.

"I knew _you_ wouldn't, but I didn't know about them all. I shall have
to ask, you se