about things."

"Because you're forever having your own way," said Clem; "I'll tell
you."

"And so I'm going to be nice to her now," said Alexia, with a perfectly
composed glance at Clem. "Let's all be, girls. I mean, behind her back."

Polly Pepper ran over across the room to slip her arm within Alexia's,
and give her a little approving pat.

"It will be so strange not to make fun of her," observed Amy Garrett,
"but I suppose we can't now, anyway, that she is to be Mrs. John
Clemcy."

"Mrs. John Clemcy, indeed!" exclaimed Alexia, standing very tall. "She
was just as nice before, as sister of our Miss Salisbury, I'd have you
to know, girls."

"Well, now what are we to give her as a wedding present?" said Polly
Pepper. "You know we, as the committee, ought to talk it over at once.
Let's sit down on the floor in a ring and begin."

"Yes," said Alexia; "now all flop." And setting the example, she got
down on the floor; and the girls tumbling after, the ring was soon
formed.

"Hush now, do be quiet, Clem, if you can," cried Alexia, to pay up old
scores.

"I guess I'm not making as much noise as some other people," said Clem,
with a wry face.

"Well, Polly's going to begin; and as she's chairman, we've all got to
be still as mice. Hush!"

"I think," said Polly, "the best way would be, instead of wasting so
much time in talking, and--"

"Getting into a hubbub," interpolated Alexia.

"Who's talking now," cried Clem triumphantly, "and making a noise?"

"Getting in confusion," finished Polly, "would be, for us each to write
out the things that Miss Anstice might like, on a piece of paper,
without showing it to any of the other girls; then pass them in to me,
and I'll read them aloud. And perhaps we'll choose something out of all
the lists."

"Oh, Polly, how fine!--just the thing."

"I'll get the paper."

"And the pencils." The ring was in a hubbub; Alexia, as usual, the first
to hop out of her place.

"Sit down, girls," said Polly as chairman. So they all flew back again.

"There, you see now," said Alexia, huddling expeditiously into her place
next to Polly, "how no one can stir till the chairman tells us to."

"Who jumped first of all?" exclaimed Clem, bursting into a laugh.

"Well, I'm back again, anyhow," said Alexia coolly, and folding her
hands in her lap.

"I'll appoint Lucy Bennett and Silvia Horne to get the paper and
pencils," said Polly. "They are on my desk, girls."

Alexia smothered