e now, Katie; that is just what I was afraid of," joined in
Mary; "you remember we didn't hear a word about balls all the
afternoon."

"You haven't got your tickets for the balls, then?" said Tom,
brightening up.

"No, how shall we get them?"

"Oh, I can manage that, I've no doubt."

"Stop; how are we to go? Papa will never take us."

"You needn't think about that; anybody will chaperone you. Nobody
cares about that sort of thing at Commemoration."

"Indeed I think you had better wait till I have talked to papa."

"Then all the tickets will be gone," said Tom. "You must go. Why
shouldn't I chaperone you? I know several men whose sisters are
going with them."

"No, that will scarcely do, I'm afraid. But really, Mary, we must
go and dress."

"Where are you going, then?" said Tom.

"To an evening party at the Vice-Chancellor's; we are asked for
nine o'clock, and the half hour has struck."

"Hang the dons; how unlucky that I didn't know before! Have you
any flowers, by the way?"

"Not one."

"Then I will try to get you some by the time you are ready. May
I?"

"Oh yes, pray, do," said Mary. "That's capital, Katie, isn't it?
Now I shall have some thing to put in my hair; I couldn't think
what I was to wear."

Tom took a look at the hair in question, and then left them and
hastened out to scour the town for flowers, as if his life
depended on success. In the morning he would probably have
resented as insulting, or laughed at as wildly improbable, the
suggestion that he would be so employed before night.

A double chair was drawn up opposite the door when he came back,
and the ladies were coming down into the sitting-room.

"Oh look, Katie! What lovely flowers! How very kind of you."

Tom surrendered as much of his burden as that young lady's little
round white hands could clasp, to her, and deposited the rest on
the table.

"Now, Katie, which shall I wear--this beautiful white rose all by
itself, or a wreath of these pansies? Here, I have a wire; I can
make them up in a minute." She turned to the glass, and held the
rich cream-white rose against her hair, and then turning on Tom,
added, "What do you think?"

"I thought fern would suit your hair better than anything else,"
said Tom; "and so I got these leaves," and he picked out two
slender fern-leaves.

"How very kind of you! Let me see, how do you mean? Ah! I see; it
will be charming;" and so saying, she held the leaves one in each
hand to the