THE INVITATION

 It was a very warm morning in June. Edna and her friend Dorothy Evans were sitting under the trees trying to keep cool. They both wore their thinnest morning frocks and had pinned their hair up in little pug knots on the tops of their heads. They had their boxes of pieces and were trying to make something suitable for their dolls to wear in the hot weather.

 

"It's too sticky to sew," said Dorothy, throwing down her work. "Marguerite will have to go without a frock and sit around in her skin."

 

"You mean in her kid," returned Edna.

 

"Well, isn't kid skin?" asked Dorothy.

 

Edna laughed. "Why, yes, I suppose it is, and Ben says we are kids, so our skin is kid skin. Oh, dear, it is hot. I wish I were a fish; it would be so nice to go slipping through the cool water."

 

12"Yes, but it wouldn't be so nice to be in a frying pan sizzling over a fire."

 

"I feel almost as if I were doing that now. There comes the postman, I wonder if he has a letter from Jennie. We promised one another we would always write on blue paper because blue is true, you know, and that looks as if it might be a blue letter the postman has on top. I'm going to see."

 

"I'll wait here," returned Dorothy. "It's too hot to move."

 

She sat fanning herself with the lid of her piece box, watching her friend the while. Once or twice Edna stopped on her way back, and finally she began to dance up and down, then ran toward Dorothy, calling out, "Oh, there's a lovely something to tell you. Oh, I do hope it can come true."

 

"What is it?" cried Dorothy, roused out of her listlessness.

 

"Just listen." Edna sat down and spread out the letter on her knee.

 

"'We want you and Dorothy to come down to make me a nice long visit. Mamma is writing to your mothers about it and I do so hope you can come. I shall be so awfully¹ disappointed if you don't. Oh, Edna, we shall have such fun. I can scarcely wait to hear.'"

 

"Do you suppose our mothers have their letters from Mrs. Ramsey?" asked Dorothy now as much excited as Edna.

 

"Do let's go and see," returned Edna. "We'll go up and ask my mother first because that will be the nearest and if she has her letter your mother is pretty sure to have hers."

 

All thought of the hot sun was forgotten as they sped across the lawn to the house, and two little girls with hot faces, panting as they came, burst into the room where Mrs. Conway was reading her letters.

 

"Oh, Mother," began Edna, "did you get a letter from Mrs. Ramsey?"

 

"Mrs. Ramsay? Why, I don't know. I will see in a moment. Just wait till I have finished this from your Aunt Kitty."

 

It seemed incredible to Edna that any letter should be of more importance than Mrs. Ramsey's, and the two little girls danced around so impatiently that Mrs. Conway finally put down the sheet she was reading and said, "How warm you children look. Do sit down and cool off. I never saw such little fidgets."

 

"We ran all the way from the oak tree," explained Edna. "We were in such a hurry."

 

"No wonder your faces are red. You are such an impetuous little somebody, Edna. You shouldn't forget that mother has so often told you not to run in the hot sun."

 

"But we did so want to hear about Mrs. Ramsey's letter," replied Edna anxiously. How could her mother take things so coolly?

 

"Is it so very important, then?"

 

"Oh, Mother, it is so exciting we can scarcely stand it till we know."

 

"Then there is nothing to do but relieve the strain," said Mrs. Conway laughing. She turned over the letters at her side. "Let me see. This is from the dressmaker, and this one from cousin Grace. This must be it." She opened the letter with what seemed to the children a great lack of haste, and began to scan the lines, two pairs of eager eyes watching her the while. "Ah, now I begin to understand," she remarked as she turned the page.

 

"Well," said Edna breathlessly.

 

"Wait a moment, dear." And Edna was obliged to be patient till the last line was reached.

 

"Oh, Mother," said the child pleadingly, "you are going to let me go, aren't you?"

 

"Why, dearie, I shall have to think about it a little. I can't say just on the instant, and I shall have to see what your father thinks about it."

 

"But, Mother, won't you say that maybe I can? That will be better than nothing at all."

 

Mrs. Conway smiled. "I think I can venture to say that much or even a little more. I can say that I should like very much to have you go."

 

"Goody! Goody!" cried Edna clapping her hands. "That is almost as if you said I really could. I had 15a letter from Jennie, Mother, and she is just crazy for us to come. You know Dorothy is invited, too. Would you like to see Jennie's letter?"

 

"Very much."

 

Edna promptly² handed over the blue envelope, and was not disappointed to have her mother say, "That is a very nice cordial letter, Edna, and I am sure the invitation shows that both Mrs. Ramsey and Jennie really want you. I will talk it over with your father this evening. Now run along, and don't exercise too vigorously this warm day, and don't forget what I said about being in the sun." She returned to her letters and Edna with Dorothy left the room.

 

"Now we must go to my mother," declared Dorothy.

 

"Yes, but we must walk slowly and I think we had better take an umbrella," returned Edna, fresh from her mother's advice.

 

"All right," said Dorothy, "I think it would be better, for there is that long sunny stretch along the road, though the rest of the way is shady."

 

They set forth³ talking eagerly. "Don't you think it sounded as if I might go?" asked Edna.

 

"Why yes," replied Dorothy, "only I don't see how we can wait till evening to know."

 

"Do you believe your mother will say positively⁴ that you can or that you can't?"

 

"I think she will say just what your mother did; that she will have to talk to papa about it, but—oh, Edna, I know what I shall do."

 

"What?"

 

"I shall ask mother if she can't telephone in to father and find out, and if she says she can't take the time to do it, I know Agnes will."

 

"What a lovely idea!" exclaimed Edna. "I shall do that very same thing as soon as I get home."

 

"And if he says yes, you can telephone over to me."

 

"That's just what I'll do. Oh, isn't it exciting?"

 

In spite of their determination to walk slowly, they covered the ground very quickly and in a few minutes had reached Dorothy's home. "Where's mother?" cried Dorothy as she came upon her sister who was sitting on the back porch.

 

"She has gone over to Mrs. MacDonald's," Agnes told her.

 

"Oh, dear," said Dorothy despairingly, "just when I wanted her so very, very much. Will she be gone long, Agnes?"

 

"I don't know, honey. What is the particular haste? Can I help you out?"

 

"I'm afraid not," answered Dorothy in a woe-begone voice. "Do you know whether mother has had a letter from Mrs. Ramsey this morning?"

 

17"I don't know that, either. She took her mail and said she would read it while she was driving over. What is it about Mrs. Ramsey, and why are you so interested?"

 

"We'll explain," replied Dorothy. "You let her read Jennie's letter Edna, and that will tell most of it."

 

A second time Edna handed over the letter to be read, and when Agnes had finished, she told her about the letter Mrs. Conway had received.

 

"And so you see," Dorothy took up the tale, "mother is sure to say just what Mrs. Conway did, only I thought we might find out sooner what papa thought if we talked to him over the 'phone."

 

"I don't see why we can't do that anyhow, and get that much settled," said Agnes. "Suppose I call him up and tell him about it, then when mother comes in we will tell her what he says, for she is pretty sure to have had Mrs. Ramsey's letter."

 

"Oh, Agnes, that will be lovely," cried Dorothy, clasping her hand. "It is awfully good of you to think of doing it."

 

"Let me see," said Agnes, "I think father is pretty sure to be in his office about this time; we might as well go and get it over."

 

She went to the 'phone, the two little girls standing⁵ by while she carried on the conversation, and once in a while one of them would put in a word of argument, so that they could be sure the last word bad been said on the subject. After a while Agnes hung up the receiver and looked down with a smile.

 

"That much is settled," she told them. "Father says he hasn't the slightest objection and leaves it all to mother to decide."

 

"Then there is nothing to do but wait, I suppose," said Dorothy with a sigh.

 

"Why, I don't know," said Agnes after a moment's thought. "Why can't you call up Mrs. MacDonald's and get mother there? She will have read the letter, you see, and it will be fresh in her mind."

 

"Why, of course," said Dorothy delightedly.

 

"Shall I do it myself, Agnes?"

 

"You might as well plead your own cause."

 

So Dorothy was soon discussing the matter with her mother, and finally won from her the assurance that she did not see anything to prevent, though she would not say positively until she had discussed it with Mrs. Conway.

 

"Then, Mother, will you please stop there on your way home?" was Dorothy's final prayer.

 

"She's going to stop and talk it over with your Mother on her way home," was the news she gave Edna. "Now I suppose that is all that we can do. Do you think it is, Agnes?" she asked.

 

"I don't see why Edna couldn't call up her father just as you did yours," returned Agnes, "and then there would be only the mothers to deal with."

 

19"Why, of course," agreed Dorothy, with a pleased look. "Come on, Edna, and see what he says."

 

But here they met with a disappointment, for Mr. Conway was not at his office and it was uncertain when he would be, so his word on the subject must be left till later.

 

At Dorothy's urgent request Edna stayed until Mrs. Evans' return, and the two spent most of the intervening time in watching for the carriage.

 

At last it was seen slowly coming up the drive, and the two little girls rushed out to meet it.

 

"Go in out of the hot sun," called Mrs. Evans, as the little figures took up a place either side of the carriage. "What are you thinking of? Do you want to have a sunstroke?"

 

"Oh, but, Mother, please stop and let us get in; then we won't be in the sun," said Dorothy.

 

"Stop then, William," Mrs. Evans ordered the driver, and the two children clambered in.

 

"We just can't wait," began Dorothy. "Mother, do please tell us what you and Mrs. Conway decided⁶."

 

"We decided that we would not decide until we found out what our husbands had to say."

 

"Oh, but we know what your husband has to say," returned Dorothy triumphantly⁸. "Agnes called him up on the 'phone and he said he had no objection as far as he was concerned and he would leave it all to you."

 

20Mrs. Evans laughed. "Well, you certainly have not wasted any time."

 

"Then, please, please say what you think."

 

"Why, my dear, you haven't given me time to think."

 

"How long will it take, then," continued Dorothy, pressing the matter.

 

"I will try to decide by this evening. There is no great hurry, is there?"

 

"Why, Mother, of course there is. I don't think I could sleep unless I knew."

 

"Then, I shall try to prevent such a catastrophe⁹ by settling it before bedtime. Here we are. You will stay to lunch won't you, Edna?"

 

"Why, no, Mrs. Evans, thank you, I don't think I ought, for I didn't tell mother I would stay."

 

"Then let William take you home; it is too warm to walk. The horses haven't been very far, and William can drive slowly."

 

So the two little girls parted and Edna returned to her own home. She was not long in finding her mother, and in plying¹⁰ her with questions upon the all-important subject, but she received no further assurance than had been given her in the beginning and was fain to exercise her patience and unburden herself to her sister Celia, who was interested and sympathetic. But at last even Celia became tired of the topic and went off to take a nap in her own room. So Edna went down to a cool spot at the back of the house where there was a little stream, and tried to amuse herself with a book.

 

But even her favorite fairy tales failed to fix her attention, so she returned to the house to find everyone given up to napping and the place so still that finally in the coolest corner of the library where a little breeze found its way through the open windows, she herself fell asleep.

 

When she awoke it was to hear her father's voice saying: "Hallo! who is this? The Sleeping Beauty?"

 

"Oh, Papa," cried Edna, awake in a moment, "how nice and early you have come home."

 

"It was too hot to stay in the city any longer than necessary," her father told her. "There wasn't much doing, so I thought I would be better off here."

 

"I called you up on the 'phone this morning," said Edna, "but you weren't at the office."

 

"And what did you want of me?"

 

"Mother will tell you," answered Edna, suddenly shy of meeting a decision which might disappoint her.

 

"Then I'd better find mother and see what it is all about."

 

Left to herself Edna waited for what seemed to her a very long time, quite long enough for the affairs of a nation to be settled, and then she went 22slowly up the stairs, and paused before the open door of her mother's room. To her surprise her parents were talking about something quite different from the subject uppermost in her own mind.

 

"Edna, dear," said her mother, catching¹¹ sight of the little figure, "you'd better get ready for dinner. We shall have it a little earlier, so Susan won't be kept so late over the hot fire."

 

Edna took a step into the room. "Did you ask him?" she said wistfully.

 

"Ask what? Oh, yes, I forgot dear," she said turning to her husband. "Edna has had a very cordial invitation from Mrs. Ramsey to spend some weeks at the Ramsey's summer home. She and Dorothy Evans are both invited, and I think the Ramseys really will be disappointed if we do not allow Edna to go. What do you think?"

 

Wasn't it just like mother to put it that way? thought Edna. Surely her father could not be so heartless as to refuse his consent after that.

 

Her faith in her mother's tact¹² was not misplaced for her father replied: "Why, I think that will be great for Edna. Of course let her go."

 

"Oh, Mother, Mother, may I? May I?" cried Edna with clasped hands and beseeching¹³ eyes.

 

Her mother turned from the mirror before which she was standing to arrange her hair. "Well, honey," she said. "I think it is decided that you may."

 

23Edna flew to her to bestow¹⁴ a rapturous hug and kiss, and then sped out of the room and downstairs to the telephone. "One, six, seven; ring two," she called in an excited voice.

 

Presently there was an answering "Hallo," from the other end.

 

"Is that you, Dorothy?" called Edna.

 

"Yes. Oh, Edna, I hoped it was you. Do tell me, is there any news?"

 

"I'm going," came the triumphant⁷ reply.

 

"So am I," came promptly back to her.

1 awfully   

adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地

参考例句：

• Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
• I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。

2 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

3 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

4 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

5 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 triumphant   

adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的

参考例句：

• The army made a triumphant entry into the enemy's capital.部队胜利地进入了敌方首都。
• There was a positively triumphant note in her voice.她的声音里带有一种极为得意的语气。

8 triumphantly   

ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地

参考例句：

• The lion was roaring triumphantly. 狮子正在发出胜利的吼叫。
• Robert was looking at me triumphantly. 罗伯特正得意扬扬地看着我。

9 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

10 plying   

v.使用（工具）( ply的现在分词 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意

参考例句：

• All manner of hawkers and street sellers were plying their trade. 形形色色的沿街小贩都在做着自己的买卖。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It was rather Mrs. Wang who led the conversation, plying Miss Liu with questions. 倒是汪太太谈锋甚健，向刘小姐问长问短。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

11 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

12 tact   

n.机敏，圆滑，得体

参考例句：

• She showed great tact in dealing with a tricky situation.她处理棘手的局面表现得十分老练。
• Tact is a valuable commodity.圆滑老练是很有用处的。

13 beseeching   

adj.恳求似的v.恳求，乞求（某事物）( beseech的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She clung to her father, beseeching him for consent. 她紧紧挨着父亲，恳求他答应。 来自辞典例句
• He casts a beseeching glance at his son. 他用恳求的眼光望着儿子。 来自辞典例句

14 bestow   

v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费

参考例句：

• He wished to bestow great honors upon the hero.他希望将那些伟大的荣誉授予这位英雄。
• What great inspiration wiII you bestow on me?你有什么伟大的灵感能馈赠给我？