smiled. "You may tell him after the 'Home, Sweet Home' waltz."

"There goes the music for the ninth dance," informed Jerry, who had
stepped to the door.

"Oh, gracious, I promised this dance to Hal! I can't go. I simply must
hear about the pin, Connie."

"I'll tell you just one thing about it," stipulated Constance, "but the
rest must wait until to-morrow, for Hal is too nice a boy to leave
without a partner."

"Then tell me that one thing," begged Marjorie.

"My aunt sent me the pin," was the quick answer. "Now kiss me good-night
and hurry along to Hal."

And Marjorie kissed her and went with happiness singing joyfully in her
heart.

CHAPTER XXIV

THE EXPLANATION

Owing to the fervent manner in which each succeeding dance was encored,
it was after midnight before the fairy-tale masquerade came to an end
and the lords and ladies of fairy lore became everyday boys and girls
again; and went home congratulating themselves on the blessed fact that
to-morrow was Saturday and that they could make up lost sleep the next
morning.

Marjorie Dean, however, was not among the late sleepers. She was up and
about the house at her usual hour, for the day held promise of unusual
interest. First of all, Constance was coming to see her at ten o'clock.
Then too, it was May day, a gloriously sunshiny May day, without the
faintest trace of cloud in the deep blue sky. As a third pleasant
anticipation, her class had planned a Mayday picnic at a point about
two miles up the river. It had been an unusually early spring, and the
wild flowers had blossomed in such profusion in the neighboring woods
about the town and along the river that the picnic had been planned
with a view to spending the day in gathering as many of them as
possible.

The expedition having been organized by the officers of the class there
was no question of who should be invited or who should be left out. The
class was exhorted to turn out in a body, and with the exception of a
few girls who had made plans for that Saturday prior to their knowledge
of the picnic, the freshmen of 19-- had promised to attend.

"Oh, dear, I wish ten o'clock were here!" sighed Marjorie as she
straightened the last object on her dressing table and viewed with
satisfaction the immaculate order to which she had reduced her room.
Keeping her room clean and dainty was almost a sacred obligation with
Marjorie. Her mother had spared neither time nor expense to make it a
marvel o