d the boys are going to meet us at
Delmonico's at one."

Charlotte cast a sidelong glance at Nancy; she understood that Alma
possessed all this information already, and that Mildred was making the
announcement simply to excite the other girls' curiosity.

Since their quarrel Alma and Nancy, chiefly for the sake of outward
appearances, had called an armistice. But while Nancy had not confided
the first hint of the quarrel to Charlotte, poor Alma, who could never
smother anything in her own heart, had unbosomed herself completely to
Mildred. Needless to say, Mildred, who had disliked Nancy from the
beginning, was not warmed toward her by any of the details in Alma's
narrative that concerned herself. She knew that Alma had not told
Nancy about their arrangements to go to the theatre, meeting two boys
in town, of whom Frank Barrows was to be Alma's cavalier; and
consequently, she surmised, quite correctly, that Nancy would be hurt
when she spoke about the plan.

Alma shot a quick, uncertain look at her sister, and blushed; but Nancy
only smiled, and asked, casually:

"What are you going to see?"

Alma's expression changed to one of relief.

"'Oh, Trixie!' Aren't we, Mildred?"

"Uh-huh. Everyone says it's a scream, and the music is perfect. I
wanted to go to a regular play, but then I thought the boys would like
a musical comedy better. By the way, Alma, I think I'll ask Miss
Leland to let us go in on the ten-fourteen--I want to do some shopping.
It'll get us in at eleven, and we'll have two hours. I promised Madame
Lepage that I'd come in to talk over a dress I want for the
holidays--and then I've simply got to get a new hat."

The following morning, after the first study period, which closed the
labors of the day at nine-thirty, Nancy heard a timid knock at the
door. It was Alma, gloved and bonneted in her "Sunday-best," but with
an agitated expression that was ill-suited to her festive appearance.
It was the first time that she had seen Nancy alone since the night of
their quarrel.

"Oh, Charlotte's not here, is she?" she said, evidently much relieved.

"No, she walked up to the village to post a letter. We aren't going in
until the eleven-fifty-four. Did you want to see her?"

"No, oh, no. You see, I--I----" Alma stammered, turning scarlet, and
fidgeting nervously with the button on her glove. "You see, I wondered
if you could lend me--lend me just a little bit of money. I--I'll pay
it right b