“O goody! did he invite us?”

“Nome, not to say invite.  But he’s been in to see if you all was expected home.”

“O, it won’t matter,” said Beth easily; “we’ll go anyway.  Of course he knew we would come.”

When Nan came over, she brought her invitation with her.  It was very formally enclosed in a small envelope, and informed his friend that Bobby would be at home on that very evening.

This struck Beth as very silly.

“Of course he’ll be at home if he’s going to give a party!  Just as though he’d be anywhere else!” she remarked.

They wished to go over immediately and tell Bobby that they were home and all ready to be invited, but their mother would not allow this.

“He will come over by and by,” she said.  But the day went by and no invitation came, although great preparations were going on, as they could see, for they kept very near the window that looked out on Bobby’s lawn.  A slow drizzling rain was falling, or they would probably have been much nearer.  But Bobby was evidently very busy getting ready.  They caught only flying glimpses of him, and their hearts grew heavy within their breasts.

“O dear!  I shall never, never get over this, never!” said Beth, swallowing the lump in her throat.

“I wouldn’t have thought Bobby could have done it,” said Ethelwyn, also swallowing.

After their bath, they begged for their best slippers, silk stockings, and embroidered petticoats, and on having their hair done in their dress-up-and-go-away-from-home style.  “Because,” said Ethelwyn, “something may happen yet to make him think of us.”

So mother let them have on what they liked, for she was very sorry for them.

In the evening, after dinner, when the electric lights came flashing out, it was worse, because, still standing forlornly by the window, they saw the orchestra come, with their instruments, and presently the sounds of music came floating up to them.  Then the ice cream man came, and Beth, who had almost melted to tears at the sight of the orchestra, shed them openly when the ice cream went around the side of the house.  Having no handkerchief, she wiped her eyes on Soosana, her big rag doll.  She always loved Soosana when she was unhappy, for she was so squeezy and felt so comfortable.

“I hope Bobby will be sorry when he has time to think about it,” she remarked in a subdued tone.

“Look at that!” said Ethelwyn in such a hopeful voice that Beth at once emerged from her eclipse behind Soosana, and looked with all her eyes.

There was Bobby, resplendent in a new suit and slippers with shining buckles, running across the lawn.

Ethelwyn and Beth at once pushed up the window, in order to meet him half-way.

“Do you want us, Bobby?” called Beth encouragingly.

“Yes; why on earth don’t you come?” cried Bobby.  “We are all ready to dance and Nan and everybody but you, are there, and I wouldn’t let ’em begin till you came, so hurry up.”