Elaine had quite recovered from the effects of the Hallowe'en party. She made the remark to P

It wouldn't be any more than neighborly a

ggy to one's self. At the same time it was not altogether Amy's obtuseness which was responsible for the difficulty of monopolizing Peggy's society

ncy, Elaine was shy at heart, as is often the case with people who hold their acquaintances at arms' length. She was uncertain, as she admitted the quartet, whether or not to ask them into the parlor, but Peggy, who had caught sight o

ad seen better days, and that she would not submit to being judged by her present environment. Peggy, who had a perfect mania for cheering people, found Mrs. Marshall's air of melancholy a perpetua

sed her as soon as the introductions were over. "I hope you

rned pensively. "It is one of the many hard things to which

o a discussion of the party. "What a fright we all had when you screamed!" Amy laughed. "But,

acknowledged with a smile, while

orted her. "There were some sheepish boys at school this m

ggy spok

he was just starting to go in again when he heard steps outside. He slipped into the carriage, just to see what would happen, and then the door opened and five

was hearing of the splendors of Mrs. Marshall's coming-out party, to which festivity two hundred guests had been invited, cast a wistful gl

est voice. 'Thank you for the ride, boys,' he said. 'It has been very enjoyable! But I think you may take me home now.' Of course there wasn't anything else for them to do, and father rode home in state. He made them pull the carriage into the stable, an

Hallowe'en pranks, didn't you

hat made yo

tsteps, instead of horses' hoofs. I suspected that something queer happening and I jumped up and looked

d were certainly on the rampa

"It was a woman, or a girl, dressed in a

elief, had reached the end of the coming-out party, put in her word. "It's so

here wasn't anything out of order th

walked back and forth half a dozen times, while I stood looking

e in many respects, she had a vein of superstition in her make-up whic

"or the Mystery of Friendly Terrace.

"It was a woman or something--in a trailing dress. I wasn'

as surprised to see a flush of annoyance on her new friend's face. Mrs. Marshall, too, had an air of having heard enough about this nocturnal intruder.

exclaimed Peggy, addressing Elaine. "It's the tenth of this mo

e explanation. "It's for the Empty Stocking Club. We buy

then the Bazar itself, and then buying the dolls and dressing them. And of course giving them to the ch

ys given largely to charity. Solicitors for philanthropic objects often said to my father, 'We like to come to you first, Mr. Elwell, because you always give so g

t the little circle, somewhat defiantly, and Peggy, who knew that this piece of confidence was not in the

s only a gingham belt, with two dangling tapes, and, at the end of each tape, a square of gingham padded for lifting things out of the oven. They really are the most convenient things; for, generally, when t

. "I made a real pretty one last year: don't you remember, Peggy? If I a piece of newspaper I could show

how she could help without being at any expense added to her sense of humiliation. What she had really meant to imply was that a girl situated as she was, should be exempt from any obligations to help other people. Elaine looked upo

e had confessed defiantly to being poor, without dreaming that her callers would take her at her word, and proceed on the assumption that in her case economy was really a matter of importance. When Priscilla sta

of the past few minutes. The sacrifice she was about to make was insignificant compared with her opportunity to silence her advisers, and to prove that in spite of the reverses with which the family had met, sh

ular, you know, and I think the pattern's rather pretty." With a carelessness almost too pronounced,

hy, Elaine! Why, girls! It's a collar.

The girls broke into exclamations of admiration

wonder? There won't be anything

price. Just think of the dolls

article in her hand toward the giver. "Really, Elaine," she

Peggy that she had blundered. "If I am going to give any

one it," she laughed. "It's pretty certain that we won't have anything else nearly as nice as this. And, Elaine, you'll help us the day o

self on the ground of her lessons. "With your school principal for a father," she explained, "you can't afford to fail very often." Ruth remembered that Graham was going to bring somebody home to supper. Amy made vague references to letters that must be w

glance at her companion. "Do you

generous to give us that collar," she

es cropped out in a rather surprising fashion. "It was generous, if she cared about the Empty Stock

hocked. Amy met her reproachful g

nces will get quite a boost, anyway. Good night." And as she crossed the street, she adde