The girls were convulsed with laughter, and the small visitor, abashed, fled to Charlotte and buried his face in her lap.

“Irving Eastman, what are you here for?” demanded Charlotte sternly, trying to raise the curly beau so that she might look the culprit in the face.

“Wanted to find you,” came in smothered accents from her lap.  “Me and Tatterth got lonethome.”

“Why didn’t you stay with Stanley and the others?”

“Couldn’t.  Couthin Jothie came and took them out to walk, and I couldn’t go ’cauth I wath all blue.”

“How did you get in here?”

“The door wath open, and I came upthtairth and then I couldn’t find you.  But I found Arthur, and Tatterth and I thtayed with him.”

The girls looked at each other in amazement.

“What did you do in Arthur’s room, Irving?” asked Betty soothingly.

“I talked to him and he gave me thith.”  The purple cherub raised his head and opening one fat hand displayed a small carved bear of Swiss manufacture.  “He thaid it could be my bear for alwayth,” he declared triumphantly.

“What did Arthur say when you walked into his room?” asked Dorothy.

“He laughed so hard I wath going to come away, but he called me back.”

“Girls, he laughed,” repeated Charlotte impressively.  “Irving, I ought to scold you, but this time you are an angel in disguise.  Perhaps this is the first step in the Restoration of A. H., Esq.”

“Let’s take another, then, by sending him a plate of fudge,” suggested Ruth.

“Just the thing,” exclaimed Betty and Dorothy together, and they immediately hooked little fingers and proceeded to wish.

“Irving, can you carry some fudge to Arthur?” continued Ruth, heaping up one of her daintiest saucers.  “If you will take this without spilling any, you shall have some to take home with you.”

“I gueth tho,” said Irving with an angelic smile, feeling himself the hero of the occasion.

“Just give the dish to Arthur and come right back,” said Charlotte decidedly.  “It’s time to go anyway,” she continued, “and I must take the Infant home as soon as possible, or mother will worry.”

“He thayth ‘thankth,’” said Irving in aloud voice, strolling down the hall and leaving Arthur’s door wide open behind him.

“Shut the door, Irving,” said Charlotte in a loud whisper.

“I think he better have it open,” answered Irving, who did not feel disposed to take any extra steps.

“Irving,” began Charlotte sternly, then stopped in amazement at the unexpected sound of Arthur’s voice.

“Never mind the door, Irving,” he said, “The fudge is out of sight, girls, or will be in a few moments.  Much obliged.”

CHAPTER V

THE SOCIAL SIX