Two Little Women on a Holiday | Page 5

the meal was nearly over, she smiled at her
little daughter, and said, "All right, Dolly, you may go."
"Oh, mother!" Dolly cried, overwhelmed with sudden delight. "Really?
Oh, I am so glad! Are you sure you're willing?"
"I've persuaded myself to be willing, against my will," returned Mrs.
Fayre, whimsically. "I confess I just hate to have you go, but I can't
bear to deprive you of the pleasure trip. And, as you say, it would also
keep Dotty at home, and so, altogether, I think I shall have to give in."
"Oh, you angel mother! You blessed lady! How good you are!" And
Dolly flew around the table and gave her mother a hug that nearly
suffocated her.
"There, there, Dollygirl," said her father, "go back and finish your
pudding while we talk this over a bit. Are you sure, Edith, you are
willing? I don't want you to feel miserable and anxious all the week
Dolly is cut loose from your apron string."
"No, Will; it's all right. If you and the Roses and Trudy, here, all agree
it's best for Dolly to go, it seems foolish for me to object. And it may be
for her good, after all."
"That's what I say, mother," put in Trudy. "Doll isn't a child, exactly.
She's fifteen and a half, and it will be a fine experience for her to see a
little bit of the great world. And she couldn't do it under better

conditions than at Mr. Forbes' brother's. The Forbes' are a fine family,
and you know, perfectly well, there'll be nothing there that isn't just
exactly right."
"It isn't that, Trudy. But,--oh, I don't know; I daresay I'm a foolish
mother bird, afraid of her littlest fledgling."
"You're a lovely mother-bird!" cried Dolly, "and not foolish a bit! but,
oh, do decide positively, for I can't wait another minute to tell Dot, if
I'm going."
"Very well," said Mrs. Fayre, "run along and tell Dotty, and Bernice,
too."
Dolly made a jump and two hops for the telephone, and soon the wires
must have bent under the weight of joyous exclamations.
"Oh, Dolly, isn't it fine!"
"Oh, Dotty, it's splendid! I can hardly believe it!"
"Have you told Bernice?"
"Not yet. Had to tell you first. When do we go?"
"Next Tuesday, I think. Now, you tell Bernie, so she can write to her
uncle that we accept."
And then there was another jubilation over the telephone.
"Fine!" cried Bernice, as she heard the news. "Lovely! I'd so much
rather have you two girls than any others. I'll write Uncle Jeff to- night
that I'll bring you. And I'll come over to-morrow, and we'll decide what
clothes to take, and all that."
Mrs. Fayre sighed, as Dolly reported this conversation.
"You girls can't do a bit of serious study all the rest of the time before
you go," she said. "Now, Dolly, I'll have to ask you to do your lessons

every day, before you plan or talk over the trip at all."
"Yes, mother, I will," and Dolly started at once for her schoolbooks.
It was hard work to put her mind on her studies, with the wonderful
possibilities that lay ahead of her. But she was exceedingly
conscientious, was Dolly Fayre, and she resolutely put the subject of
the New York visit out of her mind, and did her algebra examples with
diligence.
Not so, Dotty Rose. After Dolly's telephone message, she flung her
schoolbooks aside, with a shout of joy, and declared she couldn't study
that night.
"I don't wonder," laughed her father. "Why, Dot, you're going on a
veritable Fairy-tale visit. You are quite justified in being excited over
it."
"I thought you and Dolly didn't like Bernice Forbes very much," said
Mrs. Rose.
"We didn't use to, mother. But lately, she's been a whole lot nicer. You
know Doll made her sort of popular, and after that, she helped along,
herself, by being ever so much more pleasant and chummy with us all.
She used to be stuck up and disagreeable; ostentatious about being rich,
and all that. But nowadays, she's more simple, and more agreeable
every way."
"That's nice," observed Mr. Rose. "Forbes is not a popular man, nor a
very good citizen; I mean he isn't public-spirited or generous. But he's a
fine business man and a man of sound judgment and integrity. I'm glad
you're chums with his daughter, Dotty. And you ought to have a
perfectly gorgeous time on the New York visit."
"Oh, we will, Daddy; I'm sure of that. What about clothes, Mumsie?"
"I'll have to see about that. You'll need a few new frocks, I suppose, but
we can get them ready made, or get Miss Felton to come for a few days.

There's nearly a