"Oh, dear, I forgot the surprise. Do wait a moment," and dashed from the room.
While she was gone, Nance and Judy began filling up the intervals with odd bits of conversation, helped out by the other girls, and Frances Andrews did not have another opportunity to put in her oar. Suddenly she rose and swept to the door.
"You would none of you feel interested to know, I suppose, that Mary Stewart's father started life as a bootblack----"
"That's what I'm starting life as," cried Molly, who now appeared carrying a large tray covered with a napkin. "I am the official bootblack of Queen's, and I make sometimes one-fifty a week at it. I hope I'll do as well as Mr. Stewart in the business. Have a popover?"
She unfolded the napkin and behold a pile of golden muffins steaming hot. There were wild cries of joy from the kimonoed company.
"And now, Jessie, I'll take my second-hand, roundabout compliment----" she began, when Judy interrupted her.
"Won't you have a popover, Miss Andrews?" she asked in a cold, exasperated tone.
"Thanks; I eat the European breakfast usually--coffee and roll----"
"I'll say good morning. I've enjoyed your little party immensely," and Frances marched out of the room and banged the door.
"I should think you would have learned a lesson by this time, Molly Brown," cried Judy hotly. "There is always a row whenever that girl is around. She can't be nice, and there is no use trying to make her over."
"I'm sorry," said Molly penitently. "I wish I could understand why she behaves that way when she knows it's going to take away what few friends she has."
"I think I can tell you," put in Mabel Hinton. "Nobody likes her, and nobody expects any good of her. If you are constantly on the lookout for bad traits, they are sure to appear. It's almost a natural law. Everybody was expecting this to-day, and so it happened, of course. If we had been cordial and sweet to her, she never would have said that about Mary Stewart or the food at Queen's, either."
"Dear me, are we listening to a sermon," broke in Judy flippantly.
But, in spite of Judy's interruption, Mabel's speech made an impression on the girls, some of whom felt a little ashamed of their attitude toward Frances Andrews.