"I've never seen a sugar camp, have you, Renée?"
"Then I will tell Mrs. Lee that we will all go, Sheila and Peggy and Keineth, and Garrett may ask some of the boys. Garrett can drive their car too."
The next morning Angeline stayed locked in her room until after eleven o'clock. Then, hearing Pat in the adjoining room, she suddenly threw open the door and appeared fully dressed, even to the henna hat. To Pat's exclamation of astonishment she answered:
"I'm going back on the Empire! Will you tell Watkins? Now don't be a silly and make a fuss, Pat--just tell your aunt that I had a telegram! Jule wrote that everything was smoothed over and that I was missing some fun! So you don't think I'm going to stay any longer in this dead hole!" She snuggled her face in the Pekinese. "You've been a dear to keep me, Pat, but, you poor child, couldn't you see I was just bored to death? And a sugar-party! Oh, la, la--won't the girls laugh? Why, I wouldn't be seen dead at one!"
Slowly Pat stiffened until she stood as though made of stone. Her lips tried to frame the tumult of wrath that raged within her, but she only managed to say lamely: "I'll tell Watkins--if you've really--got to go!"
So Angeline and her dog and her bags of finery departed and ten minutes later, the rage in Pat's soul bursting all bounds, she presented herself at Aunt Pen's door, her arms filled with the hateful purchases of the day before, her face red with the effort to choke back her tears.
Aunt Pen had just come in. So she was amazed when Pat burst out: "She's gone and I'm glad of it! I just hate her! She said we were stupid and that Sheila was common--and she was--bored to death and we--we weren't fashionable--and--and she wouldn't be seen dead at a sugar-party! As if anyone wanted her, anyway!"
"Pat, dear, one thing at a time! Who's gone? Angeline?"
Pat dumped her boxes on the floor and sitting like a little girl on Aunt Pen's lap told of Angeline's dramatic departure. She could not see the smile that stole over Aunt Pen's face; she could not know that the sugar-party had been planned to bring about just what had happened! Wise Aunt Pen had decided that Pat had had just about as much of Angeline's company as was good for her! She listened to the tale of the shopping, glanced at each purchase, then patted the hair that was still curly.
"Poor Patsy, what a time you've had!"