She was quite able to see that getting up frequent lunches at three dollars, and dinners at five dollars, made a better income than ten dollars a week even with several days unoccupied.
A group of younger women, under Diantha's sympathetic encouragement, agreed to take a small cottage together, with Mrs.James as a species of chaperone; and to go out in twos and threes as chambermaids and waitresses at 25 cents an hour.

Two of them could set in perfect order one of the small beach cottage in an hour's time; and the occupants, already crowded for room, were quite willing to pay a little more in cash "not to have a servant around." Most of them took their meals out in any case.
It was a modest attempt, elastic and easily alterable and based on the special conditions of a shore resort: Mrs.Weatherstone's known interest gave it social backing; and many ladies who heartily disapproved of Diantha's theories found themselves quite willing to profit by this very practical local solution of the "servant question." The "club girls" became very popular.

Across the deep hot sand they ploughed, and clattered along the warping boardwalks, in merry pairs and groups, finding the work far more varied and amusing than the endless repetition in one household.

They had pleasant evenings too, with plenty of callers, albeit somewhat checked and chilled by rigorous Mrs.James.
"It is both foolish and wicked!" said Madam Weatherstone to her daughter-in-law, "Exposing a group of silly girls to such danger and temptations! I understand there is singing and laughing going on at that house until half-past ten at night." "Yes, there is," Viva admitted.

"Mrs.James insists that they shall all be in bed at eleven--which is very wise.