o them and I'm very
careful. I just keep my mind on them until I get them on the table.
Dad doesn't like to have anything broken, for all this table stuff is
very old."

"Aren't the lights beautiful?" exclaimed Kit gazing up at the old
candelabra.

"These lights are the pride of Dad's heart. I have never seen a more
beautiful specimen."

"Are they very old?" asked Kit.

"As old as this house and then some, I guess. You see they used to
have candles in them for lighting and Dad had electric lights made to
look like the candles. I love them. Look at the ones on the walls.
Those are old sconces. They match the chandelier."

Kit looked at the wall brackets as Bet switched on the lights.

"Oh, Bet, I've never seen anything so beautiful. See how that little
light is reflected in the mirror behind it."

Bet suddenly rushed to the door. "Oh, Auntie Gibbs," she called. "Has
Dad telephoned today?"

"No, not a word."

"Good! That means he'll come home to dinner. I just can't wait
another week to have him see Kit."

"And I was mean enough to wish that he would be detained in the city.
My dress looks so badly, I don't like to meet anyone."

"Now never you mind, Kit, my Dad wouldn't care at all," asserted Bet.

"Isn't there a dress of yours she can wear?" asked Auntie Gibbs.

"No, we've tried everything, she's about an inch broader than I am, and
she can't get into anything except my bathrobe. Her own dress will
look better than that, especially as Dad doesn't like to see girls
sitting around in bath robes."

"Oh that Dad of yours! If he had his way, women would always be
dressed up in those crazy Colonial things he has."

"That's a good idea! Kit, we're going to give you a gown from a
hundred years ago and Dad will think you're marvelous." Bet ran to a
large closet under the stairs and from an old chest brought out an
armful of dresses of antique pattern. "Come on, girls, help me get Kit
fixed up before Dad comes."

Kit's face was full of perplexity as the girls dragged her up the
stairs and got her into a costume of pale yellow satin that set off her
dark hair. It trailed behind her in a long sweeping train.

"You look as if you had just stepped out of a picture frame, Kit
Patten!" exclaimed Joy with a curtsey.

"I've never seen anything as lovely as this!" gasped Kit as she
fingered the heavy silk.

"Pooh! That's just one of the common dresses," laughed Shirley. "You
should see some of