d Miss Smith. "Am I binding you too tightly?"

"No, not that; but I think you are making one of my bracelets press into
my flesh. It's such a thick cumbersome thing anyway."

"Shall I slip it farther up your arm?" asked Miss Smith.

"No, take it off entirely, won't you, and keep it for me? It fastens
with a little clasp."

So Miss Smith undid the bracelet, which was a band of curiously chased
heavy gold, studded with big bosses containing blue stones, and dropped
it into her handy blouse pocket.

Then swiftly she finished her task of knotting the handkerchief ends and
Madame Ybanca, very securely bound, stood forth in the midst of a
laughing ring, making a pretty and appealing picture, her face slightly
flushed by embarrassment.

"One thing more for your adornment and you'll be ready," promised Miss
Smith.

Burrowing beneath the remaining handkerchiefs in the box she produced a
collarlike device of soft russet leather, all hung with fat silver
sleigh bells which, being loosely sewed to the fabric by means of
twisted wire threads, jingled constantly and busily. The slightest
movement set the wires to quivering like antennae and the bells to
making music. Miss Smith lifted the leather circlet down over Madame
Ybanca's head so that it rested upon her shoulders, looping across just
below the base of the throat.

"Take a step forward," she bade the madame, and as the latter obeyed,
all the bells tinkled together with a constant merry clamour.

"Behold!" said Miss Smith. "The lady of the bells is caparisoned for her
part. Now then, let each person blindfold his or her eyes with the
handkerchief you have; but take care that you are well blinded.

"Oh, Miss Ballister, let me adjust your handkerchief, won't you? I'm
afraid you might disarrange that lovely hair ornament of yours unless
you have help. There! How's that! Can you see anything at all? How many
fingers do I hold up?"

"Oh, I'm utterly in the dark," said Miss Ballister. "I can't see a
thing."

"Are you all hooded?" called Miss Smith.

A chorus of assents went up.

"Good! Then listen a moment: It will be Madame Ybanca's task to catch
hold of some one of you with her hands fastened as they are behind her.
It is your task to keep out of her way; the bells are to warn you of her
approach. Whoever is caught takes her place and becomes It.

"Ready--go!"

Standing a moment as though planning a campaign Madame Ybanca made a
quick dash toward where the othe