antic and imaginative child, she thought nothing could be finer than going off privately with Susy, and sacrificing her best hat for the benefit of this young person. She had also a de

went softly into her little room, no one hav

ulty in promising this at the moment, but she had no sooner reached her little bedroom than she became possessed with a frantic desire to tell her little adventure to some one. She was not yet eight years old; she had never kept a secret in her life, and the

she liked, so to speak, to play with it, to show little peeps of it, and certainly fully to acquaint those she was with, with the fact that she was the happy possessor of such a treasure. She remembered Waters' remarks of the night before. Waters had said how very

ike pink; I mean it isn't the fit color for me to wear to-day. You don't know

is a very pretty blue sash, dear; it will go quite nicely with your white f

ith the blue sash, nor yet with the

nothing but a violet sash; I'm keeping someth

ribbons in Maggie's box; fortunately she had a piece of the desired color among her own stores;

y shade; it was an old ribbon, of a dark tint of color,

Ascot's allowing such a ribbon into Maggie's wardrobe, nothing further was said on the subject. Even the wearing of the violet sash, however, could scarcely keep the secret from bubbling to Maggie's lips. Mrs. Grenville began to fo

hildren hers are-happened to hear that you and Maggie were coming to me for a short time, and she sent an invitation for you both last night. We shall

s hands togethe

he said. "You never saw fireworks, did you, Mag? O

roceeded to enlighten her with regard to the style of fireworks likely to be exhibited at Mrs. Somerville's garden party; when he spoke about the fairy fountains, and the electric lights, and the golden showers of fire-drops, a

began to speak ear

e suitable. Is there anything we

uslin frock from Perrett's, in Bond Street, which she has not yet worn; and I don

ith me in the carriage, but that won't injure it for to-morrow. Then I need not trouble about your wardrobe,

ation, Maggie's little fa

denly, "that perhaps I'

new and charming. It came from Per

was sent in the same bo

bly, Maggie, dear. Why, wh

ring, and her eyes were

hat might get lost or somethin

nt, but as her remark was not very inte

a garden party, and that in any case it did not greatly matter what she wore. What was of much more consequence was, that to-morrow Susy would be capering about with her tambourine, and that pennies would be pouring in for the Aylmer children, and for Jo in particular. She

Grenville's maid, "I am quite happy again; I have done j

g?" asked the su

ling secret. It would be very wrong o

looked

e of secrets fo

re! You always keep your own

ome things; at least, I find them so. And in no case do I approv

lt a great longing to pour the whole affair into Waters

ll," she said; "I promise

n you and Master Ralph," remarked the serva

ed softly u

the half-crown. I know what it is; I'll tell you exactly what it is, Waters, and yet I know you won't never guess. It

very light heart. She had kept her secret all day long, and now all she had to do