silent for a moment and so was her mother who presently asked:
"Have you given out all your invitations, dear?"

"No, mother, I still have one."

"Whom did you send the other to?"

"Miss Martin. She and her father were so nice to me at the fair you
know, but one of the other girls has invited Mr. Martin."

"I see. That was certainly a very good choice for you to make."

"I can't quite decide about the other one," Edna went on. "I want to
give it to the one who wants it most, of the two girls at school who
would love to have it."

"Is one of them Clara Adams?"

"Oh, mother, no. Nobody wants her." Then after a silence, "I suppose she
wants to come badder than anyone else, but--mother, do you think, do you
really think I ought to invite her?"

"Why, my dear, that is for you to decide."

"Oh, dear," Edna gave a long sigh. Never in her life had she been more
put to it to make up her mind. "I don't want to one bit," she declared
after a moment's thought. "All of the girls will be down on me and say I
am a silly goose and all that."

"It is probably your very last chance of doing her a kindness as she
will possibly not cross your path again," Mrs. Conway reminded her.

Edna drew a longer sigh than before. The situation was getting harder
and harder. "Mother," she said with a woebegone face, "why do the
rightest things always be the hardest ones?"

"I don't think they always are, dear child. Is this so very hard?"

"Oh, yes. I think it is the hardest thing I most ever had to do. Even
last year when those things about Louis worried me so, I didn't mind so
much, for I was really fond of Louis. He was my cousin and it seemed
more as if I ought to."

"Well, dearie, suppose you think over it a while. You can keep back your
invitation till the very last minute, you know, for if you do decide to
let Clara have it, she will be glad to accept even at the eleventh hour,
I am sure."

"Suppose she should say horrid mean things and stir up a fuss as she
does so many times, I should feel so badly."

"I don't believe she would do that because she would be enjoying herself
and would probably be on her best behavior. If you like, I will see that
she sits next to me which would be quite right if she should be your
guest, and it will not spoil my pleasure if she should make disagreeable
remarks."

Edna went over and leaned her elbows on her mother's lap, looking up in
her face and asking. "What would you say to yourself if s