“What do you think!” cried Nora.  “Edna Wright is giving a party next Saturday, and she isn’t going to invite either you or Anne.”

“How shocking!” said Grace.  “We shall both die of grief at having been slighted.”

She spoke lightly, and no one but Anne guessed how much the news hurt her.

“We are not going,” declared Nora, “and we told her so.”

“What did she say?” asked Grace.

“We didn’t give her time to answer,” said Nora, “but rushed off to find you.  The whole thing is perfectly ridiculous!  The idea of a lot of silly little school girls thinking they own the earth.  It’s all Miriam’s fault.  She has tried to be leader of her class ever since it was organized but mark what I say, she’ll never accomplish it.  Pride will get a fall, one of these days, and I hope I’ll be around when it happens.”

“Never mind, Nora,” said Grace soothingly.  “Anne and I don’t care.  We’ll give a party at the same time, to our own crowd.  I’ll tell you what we’ll do.  We will have a surprise party for Mrs. Gray.  I’ll write to Tom Gray and ask him to come down for next Saturday.  That will be a double surprise to dear Mrs. Gray.”

“Fine!” cried Jessica.  “We’ll have Hippy and Reddy and David.  Then our circle will be complete.  The other crowd will be furious.  Those boys are all popular, and I know that Edna intends to invite them.”

“Let’s tell them at once, then,” said Nora, “before the other girls get a chance.”

The boys were promptly invited.  Grace sent a note to Tom Gray, who found it possible to get away for the week end.

Reddy, Hippy and David received invitations to the other party, but politely declined.  Miriam endeavored to point out to her brother the folly of his conduct, but David simply stared at her and said nothing.  He knew to what lengths her jealousy had carried her during the freshman year, and although Nora had entirely omitted his sister’s name from the conversation when telling him of the recent trouble that had arisen, still David felt that Miriam was at the bottom of it.

Failing to elicit any response from her brother, she flew into a rage and did not speak to him for a week, while David went serenely on his way, and let her get over it as best she might.

The surprise party proved a success.  Mrs. Gray’s delight at seeing her “Christmas children” and having her beloved nephew with her was worth seeing.  The young people did all the “stunts” they knew for her entertainment, and the boys repeated their Shakespearian performance for the old lady, who laughed until she could laugh no more.

It was their turn to be surprised, however, when the old butler suddenly appeared and announced that supper was served.  Mrs. Gray had held a word of conversation with him directly after their arrival, which resulted in an array of good things calculated to tempt the appetite of any healthy boy or girl.