y for us.
We'll take it as a special favor if you stretch a point and come--you
and your mother."

Judith glowed with appreciation and put a floury hand on the old man's
arm.

"Oh, Judge Middleton, you are good--all of you are so kind to me. I'd
rather come to your party than do anything in the world. I never have
been to a real ball--a picnic is about the closest I've come to one,
that and some school entertainments, but you see I haven't a suitable
dress. You wouldn't like me to come looking like Cinderella after the
clock struck twelve, would you now?"

"Well, you'd look better than most even if you did," put in Colonel
Crutcher, "but you needn't be coming the Flora McFlimsey on us. Don't
we see you running around here in a blue dress all the time? And if
that ain't good enough I bet you've got a white muslin somewhere with
a blue sash and maybe a blue hair ribbon."

Judith laughed. "Well, I reckon I have and, after all, nobody is going
to look at me and I do want to go. I'll say yes and I can bulldoze
Mother into accepting, too, I am sure. I think it is the grandest
thing that ever happened for all of you to be giving a debut party,
and I'm going to come, and what's more, I intend to dance every
dance."

"Now you are talkin'," shouted the old men. "Save some dances for
us."

After they had driven away, the buggy enveloped in the inevitable
cloud of limestone dust, Judith still stood in the yard until she saw
the cloud, little more than a speck in the distance, turn into the
Buck Hill avenue.

"I reckon they'll all laugh at the dear old men and make fun of their
having a debut party for themselves, but I think it is just too sweet
of them. Oh, oh, oh, if I only had a new dress!"

There was a general invitation for Buck Hill, family and visitors, and
an especial one for Miss Ann Peyton, to whom the old men of Ryeville
wished to show marked respect as being of their generation.

"Of course, we shall all go," announced Mr. Bucknor.

"It sounds rather common," objected Mildred. "And only look at the
invitations! Did anyone ever see such ridiculous-looking things?"

But everyone wanted to go in spite of Mildred's uncertainty, so R. S.
V. P.'s were sent P. D. Q. and old Billy got busy greasing harness and
polishing the coach so that his equipage might be fit for the first
lady of the land to go to the ball.

"Air you gonter 'pear in yo' sprigged muslin?" he asked Miss Ann, "or
is the 'casion sech as you wi