“Why, Judy, how foolish. You know Mrs. Weatherbee would not have agreed that father’s scholarship be given Helen if she had not first carefully examined all her credentials. You know Mrs. Weatherbee and care. A regular text book. But I will admit, the child is afraid in public places. Much as I like it here, I should have been glad of a week in a big hotel just for the experience, if we could have induced her to go with us. It is a little queer, still Helen is lovely, don’t you think so?” “Too sweet for classification. Look at her now doing my chores,” and Judith laughed. “Oh, Janie, dear, it is fun to be here, and to have your purse at the back of it. I never had so much spot cash in all my life as I have seen you flourish since we located at the Jordan apartment. It perfectly scares me.” CHAPTER X—FEARS AND FANCIES “Madam, dinner is served,” announced Helen at the door, with the funny little jerked courtesy and her finger to her lips a la Molly in the movies. Helen was an apt American scholar, and her short stay in the country had already sufficed for picking up an attractive list of typical mannerisms. Especially did she show her aptitude in mimicing stage girls. “Now, where did you learn that, Helen?” demanded Judith. “You never have seen me bite my index nail with that sort of charm.” “But you know I went to some plays in Warsaw, and we had American talent there,” explained Helen. “I have not yet been to a theatre in America.” “Then you shall——” “Oh, no, really, I do not wish——” “Simpleton,” kindly whispered Jane, pressing Helen’s hand confidently, “we shall all go to a beautiful play, and you shall sit where no one can see you, if that is what you mean by declining all our theatre invitations. Since you really do not want to be seen in public, and perhaps you have a perfectly good reason for that choice, I must fix it so you shall see the public in private. It can be done, you know.” “Of coursey,” chuckled Judith. “Trust Jane for that. She would call out the secret service, and we might all go in a regular presidential retinue, with the good-looking slim detectives at our heels.” “Monkey,” Jane administered, “don’t go putting such nonsense into Helen’s curly head. No such thing, Helen. We may go to a theatre quite as privately as we went to the florists. Wait until you see how nicely I shall arrange it.” Helen evidently considered it would be rude for her to object, nevertheless it was clear to both girls she would have felt better to be allowed to decline Jane’s ardent invitation. The fact that theatre parties had been taboo, on account of Helen’s reticence, had given the Wellington lassies some annoyance. Jane and Judith both wanted to see good plays.