`` Oh , Papa ! '' said Edith , her eyes shining like stars . The doctor laughed . `` Write him a nice little note of invitation -- you are the lady of the house , you know -- and I 'll see that he gets it tomorrow . '' And this was how it came to pass that Bertie received the next day his first invitation to dine out . He read the little note through three times in order fully to take in its contents , and then went around the rest of the day in deep abstraction as though he was trying to decide some very important question . It was with the same expression that he opened the door at home in the evening . His aunt was stirring some oatmeal mush on the stove . `` Is that you , Bert ? '' She spoke sharply . She always spoke sharply , even when not intending it ; it had grown to be a habit . `` Yes 'm , '' said Bertie meekly , as he hung up his cap . `` I s ` pose you 've only got one day more at the store , '' said Mrs. Ross . `` Sampson did n't say anything about keeping you longer , did he ? '' `` No . He said he could n't -- I asked him . '' `` Well , I did n't expect he would . You 'll have a holiday on New Year 's anyhow ; whether you 'll have anything to eat or not is a different question . '' `` I 've an invitation to dinner , '' said Bertie timidly , `` me and William John . It 's from Doctor Forbes 's little girls -- the ones that gave me the mittens . ''
He handed her the little note , and Mrs. Ross stooped down and read it by the fitful gleam of light which came XXXXX the cracked stove .
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