“Now,” said Cleo, when the three Tenderfoots got together after school was dismissed, “we will have as much real fun with live girls as we have ever seen played out in the pictures.  Some mill girls do the queerest things, talk so funny, you can scarcely understand them, and they act—­well, just like a play.  Florence Hayden says so, she helped with their Christmas Sunday School entertainment last year.”

“Oh, well,” demurred Madaline more kindly, “they never went to our schools.  Some of them went to the Town Hall night school, but they only met their friends there and never got a chance to learn our ways.”

“You’re a real good little home missionary, Madie,” commented Grace, “and I’ll vote for you when the mill committees are made up, only,” and she puckered her pretty mouth into a rosette intended to express deep scorn, “of course we’re too young, and we are only in the Tenderfoot Class.”

“I suppose Margaret will be picked,” said Cleo, “she is fifteen and first class and has had a merit badge.”

“But she lost it,” Grace reminded the trio.

“And is going to get another from headquarters, Captain Clark said so.”

“Well, she deserves it, I’m sure,” protested Cleo.

“Oh, of course she does, but I would, too, if my plan worked out the other day,” went on Grace.

“What plan?” demanded Cleo, while Madaline pulled a long, serious face.

“Oh, I wanted to do something noble and I tried to, but it did not just work out,” faltered Grace, “but—­I—­am going—­to try it again!” and her eyes blazed defiance at Madaline.

“You just do, Grace Philow, and I’ll—­”

“Who cares!” interrupted the unconquerable Grace, while Cleo looked a whole volume of inquiries.

The McKay twins were romping over from a near-by playhouse, a little tepee made of cast off “shutters” the janitor had put outside after wrenching them from hinges, and the girls had promptly availed themselves of the material for a most attractive playhouse.

“Hello! hello!” called both.  “Who wants a ride home?  Mother is sending the big car.”

“Oh, we all do, of course,” spoke Cleo, the first to mingle words with her delight.  “Who wouldn’t love a ride in that big, spiffy limousine!”

“Well, thank you just the same, but I don’t, just today,” Grace surprised them with answering.  “I have an appointment with Brother Benny.”

“Oh!” said Winnie McKay significantly.

“I see!” drawled her sister Norma.

“Suit yourself,” deprecated Cleo.

“If you can’t, you can’t,” philosophized Madaline.

“That’s exactly it,” amplified Grace.  “I can’t, so I can’t.  Thank you, Winnie and Norma, for the lovely invitation, and please let me put it down to my credit account?  I would like a refund,” and she laughed her irresistible explosive outburst, in which the whole party joined, whether willingly or from acute inflection.