er her about it, Marcia," she said. "You know we
haven't anything against her. We were sorry she didn't like us, and
understand that we only wanted to be friends, but we certainly didn't
feel angry."

"If she was bothered, as you call it, Bessie, it served her good and
right," said Marcia, crisply. "We've had about enough of Gladys and her
superior ways. She isn't any better or cleverer or prettier than anyone
else, and it's time she stopped giving herself airs."

"You don't understand," said Bessie, with a smile. "She's one of you,
and if you don't like the way she acts, you've got a perfect right to
let her know it, and make her just as uncomfortable as you like."

"We did," said Marcia. "I guess she's had a lesson that will teach her
it doesn't pay to be a snob."

"Yes, but don't you think that's something a person has to learn for
herself, without anyone to teach her, Marcia? I mean, there's only one
reason why she could be nice to us, and that's because she likes us. And
you can't make her like us by punishing her for not liking us. You'll
only make her hate us more than ever."

"She'll behave herself, anyhow, Bessie. And that's more than she did
before."

"That's true enough. But really, it would be better, if she didn't like
us, for her to show it frankly than to go around with a grudge against
us she's afraid to show. Don't you see that she'll blame us for making
trouble between you girls and her? She'll think that we've set her own
friends against her. Really, Marcia, I think all the trouble would be
ended sooner, in the long run, if you just let her alone until she
changed her mind. She'll do it, sooner or later."

"I guess Bessie's right, Marcia," said Dolly, thoughtfully. "I don't see
why Gladys acts this way, but I do think that the only thing that will
make her act differently will be for her to feel differently, and
nothing you can do will do that."

"Well, it's too late now, anyhow," said Marcia. "I see what you mean,
and I suppose you really are right. But it's done. You'll be nice to
her, won't you? She's promised to be pleasant when she sees you--to talk
to you, and all that. I don't know how well she'll manage, but I guess
she'll do her best."

"There's no reason why we shouldn't be nice to her," said Bessie. "She
isn't hurting us. I only hope that something will happen so that we can
be good friends."

"She really is a nice girl," said Marcia, "and I'm awfully fond of her
when she isn't