From the publisher
The three girls were Portia and Priscilla and Pauline, and they were powerfully upset over the nonsense that'd happened at the celebration.
"I have lost my right to do it, for I told him tonight that love and respect must go together in my heart," and Pris wiped her wet eyes with a hand that no longer wore a ring.
Portia and Polly looked at one another in dismay, for by this act Pris proved how thoroughly in earnest she was.
Neither had any words of comfort for so great a trouble, and sat silently caressing her, till Pris looked up, with her own serene smile again, and said, as if to change the current of their thoughts, --
"We must have a badge for the members of our new society, so let us each wear one of these tiny silver pitchers. I've lost the mate to mine, but Portia has a pair just like them. You can divide, then we are all provided for."
Portia ran to her jewel-case, caught up a pair of delicate filigree ear-rings, hastily divided a narrow velvet ribbon into three parts, attached to each a silver pitcher, and, as the friends smilingly put on these badges, they pledged their loyalty to the new league by a silent good-night kiss.
