"Do you know whether Ruth accepted the invitation, Gertrude ?" she asked suddenly.
"Arline said she thought Ruth wanted to go with her, but was too loyal to the other girl to even intimate any such thing," replied Gertrude.
Five minutes later the two students had exchanged good-byes and Grace was on her way to Ruth's with Gertrude's words ringing in her ears.
Several weeks ago she had invited Ruth to go with her to Oakdale for the holidays.

At first Ruth had demurred, then accepted with shy gratitude.
The three Oakdale girls had become greatly attached to Ruth, and Anne, in particular, had looked forward to taking her home with them.

Grace had purposely forestalled Anne in inviting Ruth, because she had decided in her mind that her facilities for entertaining were greater than Anne's.

She had managed so adroitly, however, that Anne had never even dreamed of her real motive in inviting the lonely little girl.

Now, there was Arline Thayer's invitation to be considered.