a very halo of frizzly curls, Elizabeth's
hung heavy, straight, and limp, and had to be braided in the usual old
fashion.

However, she was never prone to think much of her personal appearance,
and merely gave a sigh as Mary stood before the glass looking quite
like a fairy.

"My, but your hair is so nice," said Elizabeth.

"Well," said Mary, as with a smile of satisfaction she surveyed what
was visible of her small self in the little mirror on the wall, "I
suppose I do look awful grand. But I must try and not think about it,"
she added piously; "aunt says so."

Since the night the practice had been held at The Dale, Miss Gordon,
strange to say, had displayed a growing disinclination to attend the
concert. And when the evening finally came she decided to remain at
home. It was only for children, after all, she remarked at the
tea-table, and she and Annie would just stay at home together by the
fire; adding that she didn't suppose even Malcolm and Jean would care
to go to anything so childish. But even the quiet Malcolm protested
mildly, and his sister did the same vigorously. Such an expedition as
going from home after dark was too rare to be missed. "Why, Aunt
Margaret!" she cried, for Miss Jean was an independent young lady, by
virtue of being the cleverest of the family. "Why, Aunt Margaret, I
never dreamed we'd have to stay home, and I'd just love to go--and
Annie wants to go, too; don't you, Ann?"

One glance at Annie's despairing face was enough to convince anyone
that to miss the concert would be a more bitter disappointment than it
would be even to Elizabeth, who was fidgeting about in her chair, with
scarlet cheeks and shining eyes, scarcely eating anything. Miss Gordon
glanced at her eldest niece apprehensively, and hesitated. Then her
brother spoke up.

"Well, well," he said indulgently, "you must just all go. Archie and
Jamie and I will keep house, and you'll tell us all about it when you
get home."

Miss Gordon was too genteel to oppose her brother publicly, and
accepted the situation with much chagrin. She determined, however,
that she would keep Miss Annie close to her side all evening. And
after all, she argued, probably the young man had forgotten all about
her by this time. It was a way young men had, she reflected, with a
sigh for a dream of her youth to which she never referred. She sighed
again as she looked at Annie's bright face, and wondered if she had
done wrong in separ