Mrs. Page received her visitor coldly, understanding that she came to intercede for Elizabeth. She said that Elizabeth's father did not want his daughter to go out evenings; that she had a good home and must be contented to stay in it "as my own children do," she ended with a glance at Sadie, who sat on the edge of a chair with much the aspect of a terrier watching a rat-hole. When Miss Laura asked if she might see Elizabeth, Sadie tossed her head and coughed behind her handkerchief, as her mother answered that Elizabeth was busy and could not leave her work. "But wouldn't she do her work all the better if she had a little change now and then, and the companionship of other girls?" Laura urged gently. "She has the companionship of her sister--she must be satisfied with that," was the uncompromising reply. With a sigh, Laura rose to leave, but as she glanced at Sadie's triumphant face, she had an inspiration. The child was certainly unattractive, but perhaps all the more for that reason she ought to have a chance--a chance which might possibly mean a chance for Elizabeth too. She smiled at the girl and Laura's smile was winning enough to disarm a worse child than Sadie. "If you do not think it best for Elizabeth to attend our Council meetings regularly, perhaps you would be willing to let her come this next Saturday and bring her sister. After the business is over, we are going to have a fudge party. I have a little upstairs kitchen just for the girls to use whenever they like. I think your daughter might enjoy it--if she cared to come--with Elizabeth." Marvellous was the effect of those few words on Sadie. Seeing a refusal on her mother's lips, she burst out eagerly, "O mother, I want to go--I _want_ to go! You _must_ let me." Taken entirely by surprise, Mrs. Page hesitated--and was lost. What Sadie wanted, her mother wanted for her, and she saw that Sadie's heart was set on accepting this invitation. "I suppose they might go, just for this once," she yielded reluctantly. Laura allowed no time for reconsideration. "I shall expect both of them then, on Saturday," she said and turned to go. She longed to look back towards the kitchen where she felt sure that Elizabeth must have been wistfully listening, but Mrs. Page and Sadie following her to the door, gave her no chance for even a backward glance. "Good-bye," Sadie called after her as she went down the steps, and the child's small foxy face was alight with anticipation. Slamming the door after the caller, Sadie flew to the kitchen. "There now, Elizabeth," she cried, "I'm going to her house next Saturday and you're going--you can just thank me for that too. Mother wouldn't have let you go if it hadn't been for me." Elizabeth's face brightened, but there was a little shadow on it too. Of course it was better to go with Sadie than not to go at all--O, much better--but still----