can keep with me and my mother and Miss Winter all day. I won't let you feel lonely.”
Mary-Lou didn't much want to keep with Gwendoline. She was tired of being pawed about by Gwendoline, and tired of the never-ending stories of her family, in all of which Gwendoline herself shone out brightly as someone really too marvellous for words.
But Gwendoline thoroughly enjoyed such a quiet listener as Mary-Lou, though she despised her for being weak enough to put up with so much.
When Darrell heard that Mary-Lou's people could not come on half-term Saturday she went to her. “Would you like to come and be with my mother and father and me all day?” she said. “They are taking me out to lunch in the car.
We're having a gorgeous picnic.”
Mary-Lou's heart leapt. She gazed at Darrell in adoration and delight. To be asked by Darrell to share the half-term— could anything be nicer? Darrell had ticked her off so much lately, and found her such a nuisance—but now she had been decent enough to give her this invitation.
Then she remembered Gwendoline's invitation, and her face fell. “Oh,” she said, “Gwendoline's asked me to join her —and I said I would.”
“Well, go and tell her I've asked you, and that my father and mother would like to meet you,” said Darrell. “I shouldn't think she'd mind.”
“Well—I don't know if I dare say that,” said timid Mary- Lou. “She might be very angry—especially as she doesn't like you, Darrell.”
“I suppose that means you'd rather go with Gwendoline than with me,” said Darrell, unkindly. It always irritated her when Mary-Lou put on her 'scared” look. “Well, go then.”
“ Darrell How can you say that?” cried Mary-Lou, almost in tears. “Why—I'd—I'd—I'd give anything to come with you.”
“Well, go and tell Gwendoline then,” said Darrell. “If you want a thing badly you can surely pluck up enough courage to get it. You're a terrible little coward.”
“Oh, I know,” said Mary-Lou, in despair. “Don't keep on and on saying that! It only makes me worse! You tell Gwendoline, Darrell.”
“Certainly not,” said Darrell. “ I'm not going to do your dirty work! Anyway, I'm not sure I want such a silly baby tagging on to me all half-term.”
She walked off, leaving Mary-Lou looking after her in despair. Jean, who was nearby and had overhead everything, felt a little sorry for Mary-Lou. She walked after Darrell.
“I think you're a bit hard on her,” she remarked, in her forthright Scots voice.
“Well, it's all for her good,” said Darrell. “If I can make her have a little courage, she'll thank me for it. I said those things purposely, to shame her into going to Gwendoline and asking her.”
“You've shamed her all right, but not in the way that will make her pluck up her courage.” said Jean. “You've given her the kind of shame that puts people into despair!”
Jean was right. Mary-Lou was quite in despair. The more she thought of going to Gwendoline and asking her if she minded her going with Darrell at half-term instead of with her, the more terrified she got. In the end she did go to find Gwendoline, but found that she didn't dare to ask her; which made it worse than ever! Poor Mary-Lou!
Gwendoline got to hear that Darrell had asked Mary-Lou for half-term, and she was pleased that Mary-Lou had not apparently wanted to go with her. She spoke to her about it.
“Fancy Darrell having the cheek to ask you, after I'd asked you!” she said. “I'm glad you had the decency to refuse, Mary-Lou. You'd surely not want to go off with a girl like that, who thinks you're such a poor worm?”
“No.” said Mary-Lou, and couldn't say any more. If only she could have said yes, boldly, right out! But she couldn't.
The morning of half term dawned bright and clear. It was going to be a super day. The sea glinted in the sunlight, as calm as a mirror. It would be high tide at two o'clock. The pool would be just right. What luck!
Girls took
Mary-Lou didn't much want to keep with Gwendoline. She was tired of being pawed about by Gwendoline, and tired of the never-ending stories of her family, in all of which Gwendoline herself shone out brightly as someone really too marvellous for words.
But Gwendoline thoroughly enjoyed such a quiet listener as Mary-Lou, though she despised her for being weak enough to put up with so much.
When Darrell heard that Mary-Lou's people could not come on half-term Saturday she went to her. “Would you like to come and be with my mother and father and me all day?” she said. “They are taking me out to lunch in the car.
We're having a gorgeous picnic.”
Mary-Lou's heart leapt. She gazed at Darrell in adoration and delight. To be asked by Darrell to share the half-term— could anything be nicer? Darrell had ticked her off so much lately, and found her such a nuisance—but now she had been decent enough to give her this invitation.
Then she remembered Gwendoline's invitation, and her face fell. “Oh,” she said, “Gwendoline's asked me to join her —and I said I would.”
“Well, go and tell her I've asked you, and that my father and mother would like to meet you,” said Darrell. “I shouldn't think she'd mind.”
“Well—I don't know if I dare say that,” said timid Mary- Lou. “She might be very angry—especially as she doesn't like you, Darrell.”
“I suppose that means you'd rather go with Gwendoline than with me,” said Darrell, unkindly. It always irritated her when Mary-Lou put on her 'scared” look. “Well, go then.”
“ Darrell How can you say that?” cried Mary-Lou, almost in tears. “Why—I'd—I'd—I'd give anything to come with you.”
“Well, go and tell Gwendoline then,” said Darrell. “If you want a thing badly you can surely pluck up enough courage to get it. You're a terrible little coward.”
“Oh, I know,” said Mary-Lou, in despair. “Don't keep on and on saying that! It only makes me worse! You tell Gwendoline, Darrell.”
“Certainly not,” said Darrell. “ I'm not going to do your dirty work! Anyway, I'm not sure I want such a silly baby tagging on to me all half-term.”
She walked off, leaving Mary-Lou looking after her in despair. Jean, who was nearby and had overhead everything, felt a little sorry for Mary-Lou. She walked after Darrell.
“I think you're a bit hard on her,” she remarked, in her forthright Scots voice.
“Well, it's all for her good,” said Darrell. “If I can make her have a little courage, she'll thank me for it. I said those things purposely, to shame her into going to Gwendoline and asking her.”
“You've shamed her all right, but not in the way that will make her pluck up her courage.” said Jean. “You've given her the kind of shame that puts people into despair!”
Jean was right. Mary-Lou was quite in despair. The more she thought of going to Gwendoline and asking her if she minded her going with Darrell at half-term instead of with her, the more terrified she got. In the end she did go to find Gwendoline, but found that she didn't dare to ask her; which made it worse than ever! Poor Mary-Lou!
Gwendoline got to hear that Darrell had asked Mary-Lou for half-term, and she was pleased that Mary-Lou had not apparently wanted to go with her. She spoke to her about it.
“Fancy Darrell having the cheek to ask you, after I'd asked you!” she said. “I'm glad you had the decency to refuse, Mary-Lou. You'd surely not want to go off with a girl like that, who thinks you're such a poor worm?”
“No.” said Mary-Lou, and couldn't say any more. If only she could have said yes, boldly, right out! But she couldn't.
The morning of half term dawned bright and clear. It was going to be a super day. The sea glinted in the sunlight, as calm as a mirror. It would be high tide at two o'clock. The pool would be just right. What luck!
Girls took
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