have those pauper children at my party--Amy and Gummy. 'Gummy!'
What a frightful name! And his pants are patched at the knees.
They wouldn't--either of them--have a decent thing to wear, of
course."

Janice said nothing for a long minute. Stella's blue eyes, which
were actually more staring than pretty, began to cloud ominously.
Instinctively she sensed that Janice was not with her in this.

"Amy Carringford is a nice girl, I think," Janice Day said
mildly. "And perhaps she has a party dress, Stella."

"There you go! Always standing up for anything mean or common,"
stormed Stella. "I might have known you wouldn't help me."

"Why did you ask me then?" Janice inquired with some rising
spirit.

"Because you're always so sharp about things; and you can help me
if you want to."

Stella Latham was certainly much more frankly spoken than
politic. Janice Day excused her schoolmate to a degree. She
usually found excuses for every one but herself.

"I was only trying to help you," Janice said slowly. you haven't
really anything against Amy, have you?"

"She's a pauper--a regular pauper."