Читать книгу Betty Wales, Junior. A Story for Girls онлайн

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“What in the world are you doing, Roberta?” demanded Mary. “You can read it to us, if you’d rather. I know Madeline’s voice is bad.”

“I think it’s a shame,” cried Roberta hotly, blushing and making strange gestures in Madeline’s direction.

“What’s a shame?” asked Betty in perplexity.

“Why—why—reading my—reading Georgia’s story aloud and—laughing at it.” Roberta looked ready to cry.

“I think so too,” declared Betty, uncomprehending but sympathetic. “How she would feel if she knew! Truly, Mary, I don’t wonder that people don’t contribute to the ‘Argus,’ if you editors show their themes around like this.”

“You’re right, Betty,” said Mary soberly, looking really troubled and reaching for the manuscript. “It was very thoughtless of me to consent to such a thing, and I’m heartily ashamed. Girls, will you please promise not to mention this to any one? And Betty, this isn’t the way the editors treat the unsolicited contributions. Nora Carleton is lovely about them, trying to see good in them all, going to call on some of the girls, and asking Miss Mills and Miss Raymond to try to give them a start. Oh, it’s not the ‘Argus’ editors who act this way; it’s just horrid, thoughtless me.” Mary’s rare fit of contrition had taken a serious hold upon her.