"There's an important meeting in the village. You've fixed a nice
little doll house here."
The girl with the black eyes, standing just back of Adam Kraus'
shoulder, laughed--a scornful laugh.
"Too bad the Rileys can't move here!"
The Rileys again! Robin flushed at the girl's laugh and hateful eyes,
tried to answer Adam Kraus and to beg them all to wait until Harkness
brought in the coffee, but found her throat paralyzed and her feet
rooted to the spot. The Mill mothers saw Adam Kraus and the girls start
for the little hall and hastily moved in that direction themselves.
"Oh, _don't_ go!" Robin managed to cry, then, moving after them, "Mrs.
Lynch, make them stay. Why, I wanted this to be a _party_, to--to--This
is your House of Laughter! I--" She struggled desperately to recall the
words of the "speech" Beryl had declared perfect and to keep from
breaking down into tears before these hard, staring eyes.
The black-eyed girl elbowed her way out from behind the others, casting
a quick look at Adam Kraus as though for his approval. "I guess you
named this house all right, Miss Forsyth. It _is_ to laugh! But there
ain't many of us that know all poor little Mamie Riley's stood, and
cares about her the same way we cared for Sarah Castle that feels like
laughing tonight!" She tossed her head as though proud of her courage,
then singled out Dale for a parting shot.
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