't any party clothes, you know."
Elinor rose, and going to her bag that was still dangling from the
chair back where she had flung it in her hurried preparation for
dinner, took out a cardcase, and drawing forth three square bits of
gray cardboard, handed them to Patricia.
"'An Arabian Nights Entertainment,'" read Patricia, mumbling in her
haste. "'No guests admitted unless in costume' . . . m-m-m-m . . .
'The Sultan Haroun-al-Raschid' . . . Oh, I see! We can rig up in
anything we choose,--so that it looks sort of Turkish. _Dee_-licious!
I know what to do with my rose-colored cloak right now!"
"My shawl will be stunning," rejoiced Elinor. "They've both come to us
in the very nick of time. With that old silk skirt of mine, and that
worn-out gold-beaded tunic of Aunt Louise's that we found in the closet
at Greycroft, we'll be simply dazzling. See if we're not, Patricia
Louise Kendall."
"I wonder what Miss Jinny will say to a costume?" Patricia said, her
bright face clouding with the thought.
"I believe she'll like it," declared Elinor, confidently. "She does so
love variety--and she has entered into everything already with such a
vim."
"Perhaps she's been hungering for what she calls fripperies," said
Patricia, hopefully. "She's so tremendously alive that she must need
some play, and if she's only willing, we'll see that she gets it, won't
we, Norn?"
"Find out in the morning how she feels about it," said Elinor,
switching off the light. "I'm pretty sure she'll want to go."
At the earliest permissible hour, Patricia slipped into her pink kimono
and slippers and sped softly to Miss Jinny's room, where she tapped
lightly, and was admitted at once by Miss Jinny, fully dressed and with
a little book in her hand.
Patricia opened her plan with great expedition, pouring out explanation
and entreaty in one excited rush, while Miss Jinny sat opposite her on
the side of the bed, her rather protruding pale blue eyes cocked
sidewise at her in the meditative way she had when deeply interested.
"So you see, we really _need_ you. And you wouldn't have to wear
anything very outlandish, you know," urged Patricia, ending up with her
strongest argument. "And I'm sure Judy would love to be with Mrs.
Shelly alone--they'd have so much more chance for talk together."
Miss Jinny said not a word for what seemed to Patricia a very long
minute; then she gave her deep chuckle and said decisively, "I'll go as
Sin
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