“I think it will be just the thing to have all of us S. P.’s in our costumes, you know, and waiting on the table and managing everything; indeed, Jean, I don’t see how it could go off well without it, though you ought to sit at the head of the table, starting it off as president.”
But Jean shook her head. “I think we might have some place fixed for us, a little table, or something, because we want to enjoy the good supper, too. But if you girls are willing to be ‘extras,’ it will give us a chance to have more sophomore girls. The other boys might feel funny to be with so many Black Wizards,--don’t you think, and couldn’t we have a sophomore party up here soon, to make everybody feel all right?”
The girls thought that fitting, for there were boys outside of the Black Wizards whom they liked. They sighed with relief when their list was completed. Eight seniors, twelve juniors and twelve sophomores would be seated at a long table which should run the “length of the house, almost,” where the third floor roof was highest in the center. “Sixteen on each side, girls, and two places on each end for Fran, Bess, Leigh and Phoebe,--to keep order,” announced Jean. “You see, after the whole meal is ready to serve, it will only take Molly, Nan and me to do all the waiting necessary.”
“All right,” said Fran. “We’ll all help prepare the tables beforehand, of course.”
“I’ll get Jimmy to help fix the long table, if there’s no objection,” said Jean.
“No objection whatever,” said several of the girls. “Who cares?” asked Fran. “Pledge Billy to secrecy about anything he sees and get him to come over to help you, Jean, if you need him. He’d like the fun, and we’ll not put up our posters anyway until afternoon.”
No hint of the great celebration had been given, for the girls were pledged to silence. With the exception of Mrs. Gordon not even the parents knew that the girls were planning anything except the completion of their “club room.” In consequence, a number of girls were happily surprised by neat invitations to an Attic Party at the home of Jean Gordon.
Written by seven different girls, the invitations were not exactly alike, but if Leigh’s was a model of composition and Phoebe’s a wild scribble, as she claimed, they all presented the same facts. It was on Saturday at six o’clock at the home of Jean Gordon that the pleasure of Miss So-and-So’s society was requested by the S. P. Club for an Attic Party. Costumes were also suggested, though that was not required.