“Do you think I have too much on, Isabel?” asked Lilian, rather taken back by Isabel’s careless remark. “I love to wear them,—you know why.”
“And we love to see them,” returned Isabel. “I beg your pardon; I wasn’t criticising.”
“Let’s arrange about the round robin,” said Betty. “I can’t stand it not to know about all you girls, and never can write regularly to so many. It will be much easier to pass on the letters. Then if we want to write any oftener to any one we can. Meanwhile the history of the chief events can be going the rounds.”
“I’m afraid we’ll give it up,” said Juliet.
“I know some girls who have kept one going for nearly ten years.”
“Somebody will be sure to be careless and keep it too long or something.”
“We might make it a rule not to keep it more than a month, and if one had time for only a few lines that would be acceptable. It could get around at least once a year.”
“I think it will be fine,” said Eloise. “Count me in. Betty, you write to me and I’ll send it out with a letter of my own to Pauline, next up to Virgie, then east to New York, no, to Isabel first. The New York folks could gather up their epistles, or write one all together. Suppose all of us who want to have a round robin, or to take part in one, leave our names with Betty and let her start it. Who has more adventures than Betty?”
“If it depends upon my telling adventures, there will not be any round robin, for I’m not going to have any more. But I will receive names for the round robin after dinner in Lakeview Suite.”
“I can’t believe that we’re not coming back next year,” said Hilary. “It does not seem possible. Here we are, all around the table, and in a few days it will be like a dream.”
“I _think_ I’m coming back,” said Isabel, “but sometimes I don’t care much if I don’t come. It is going to make so much difference to have you all gone. And yet I’d like to finish up here. Virgie thinks that she will teach next year, though it isn’t quite decided, you know, depends on what school she can get, and she has not heard.”
“We shall need that round robin to find out where we all are,” said Betty. “Leave an address by which we can reach you when you give me your names.”
“Strawberries, with ice cream and cake,” announced Isabel, watching the waitress as she brought in the dessert to the next table. “I wonder if they are home grown.”