Two Little Women on a Holiday | Page 3

don't want her to enjoy it so much that she will come back discontented
with her own plain home."
"Oh, nonsense, my dear sir! A glimpse of city life and a taste of
frivolity will do your girl good. Dolly is too sensible a sort to be a prey
to envy or discontent. I know Dolly fairly well, and I can vouch for her
common sense!"
"So can I," said Bernice. "Doll will enjoy everything to the limit, but it
won't hurt her disposition or upset her happiness to see the sights of the
city for a short time. Oh, please, Mr. Fayre, do let her go."
"Just as her mother thinks," and Mr. Fayre smiled at the insistent
Bernice.
"Tell me of the household," said Mrs. Fayre. "Is your brother's wife
living?"
"Jeff has never been married," replied Mr. Forbes. "He is an elderly
bachelor, and, I think is a bit lonely, now and then. But he is also a little
eccentric. He desires no company, usually. It is most extraordinary that
he should ask these girls. But I think he wants to see his two nieces,
and he fears he cannot entertain them pleasantly unless they have other
companions of their own age."
"And who would look after the girls?"
"Mrs. Berry, my brother's housekeeper. She is a fine noble-hearted and
competent woman, who has kept his house for years. I know her, and I
am perfectly willing to trust Bernice to her care. She will chaperon the

young people, for I doubt if my brother will go to many places with
them. But he will want them to have the best possible time, and will
give them all the pleasure possible."
"That part of it is all right, then," smiled Mrs. Fayre; "it is, to my mind,
only the loss of more than a week of the school work that presents the
insuperable objection."
"Oh, don't say insuperable," urged Mr. Forbes. "Can't you bring
yourself to permit that loss? As Dolly says, the girls can make up their
lessons."
"They can--but will they?"
"I will, mother," cried Dolly; "I promise you I will study each day
while I'm in New York. Then I can recite out of school hours after I get
back, and I'll get my marks all the same."
"But, Dolly dear, you can't study while you are in New York. There
would be too much to distract you and occupy your time."
"Oh, no, Mrs. Fayre," observed Bernice, "we couldn't be all the time
sightseeing. I think it would be fine for all us girls to study every day,
and keep up our lessons that way."
"It sounds well, my dear child," and Mrs. Fayre looked doubtfully at
Bernice, "and I daresay you mean to do it, but I can't think you could
keep it up. The very spirit of your life there would be all against study."
"I agree with that," said Mr. Forbes, decidedly. "I vote for the girls
having an entire holiday. Lessons each day would spoil all their fun."
"They couldn't do it," Trudy said. "I know, however much they tried,
they just COULDN'T study in that atmosphere."
"Why not?" asked Bernice. "We're not young ladies, like you, Trudy.
We won't be going to parties, and such things. We can only go to the
shops and the exhibitions and for motor rides in the park and such

things. We could study evenings, I'm sure."
"It isn't only the lessons," Mrs. Fayre said; "but I can't feel quite willing
to let my little girl go away for a week without me." Her pleasant smile
at Mr. Forbes robbed the words of any reflection they might seem to
cast on his brother's invitation. "I'm sure Mrs. Berry would do all that is
necessary in the way of a chaperon's duties, but these girls are pretty
young even for that. They need a parent's oversight."
Mrs. Fayre was about to say a mother's oversight, when she
remembered that Bernice had no mother, and changed the words
accordingly.
There was some further discussion, and then Mrs. Fayre said she must
have a little time alone to make up her mind. She knew that if Dolly did
not go, Maisie May would be asked in her place, but she still felt
undecided. She asked for only an hour or two to think it over, and
promised to telephone directly after dinner, and tell Mr. Forbes her
final decision. This was the only concession she would make. If not
acceptable then her answer must be no.
"Please do not judge my wife too harshly," said Mr. Fayre as he
accompanied Mr. Forbes and Bernice to the door. "She still looks upon
Dolly as her baby, and scarcely lets her out of her sight."
"That's all right," returned Mr.