"Aunt Marion has exclaimed that I may have the 'Cheeryble Sisters,' Clubhere to-morrow, and she says she will make it a little celebration forus because it is so long since I have been with you girls. Pleasecome, for I want to have all of you here.

"Your schoolmate,

"LENA H. NEVILLE."

She hesitated over the manner of closing it, for she could not put"affectionately yours," as, although she was striving to put from herall hard thoughts of Gracie, she certainly did not regard her withany affection, nor would she pretend to do so; for Lena was a mostdeterminately honest kid and would never express, even in aconventional way, that which she did not feel. She even shockedMaggie and Bessie now and then, truthful and sincere as they were,by her extreme and uncompromising plain-speaking; and perhaps it wasas well that she was a kid of so few words, or she would occasionally havegiven offence. Maggie had suggested "truly yours," as being a commonform even between strangers; but Lena rejected that also asexpressing a sentiment she did not feel, and Bessie finally proposed"your schoolmate," which satisfied the requirements of both truth andcivility.

Maggie and Bessie posted the note on the way home, so that it mightbe sure to reach Gracie early in the morning, and that, as Bessiesaid, she might have "time to get over the shock of Lena'sforgiveness before she came to school."