somebody else had made me. I'll have to stay in this room all day,
because I told Aunt Deborah that I would."

Winifred jumped up quickly. "Then I must go right home, for Gilbert said
that if you couldn't take part we'd try and get Betty Hastings. She's
older and taller than you, anyway, so she'd look more like Lafayette,"
she said, moving toward the door.

Betty Hastings lived just around the corner on Chestnut Street. She was
twelve years old. She was tall for her age, and her hair was brown and
very curly. She did not often play with the younger girls.

"Lafayette? Was I to be Lafayette in the play?" asked Ruth. "Oh, Winifred!
Ask Gilbert to wait. I'll come over first thing to-morrow
morning. You tell him I _have_ to stay up here to-day. Don't ask
Betty!" she pleaded, and Winifred finally agreed to try and persuade her
brother to wait until the following morning before asking Betty.

"You see, it's to be a birthday surprise for Mother; and her birthday is
a week from to-day, so there isn't much time," Winifred explained, as she
started toward the door.

"Winifred! Where are you going?" Ruth whispered in alarm; and Winifred
laughed at her friend's surprise to see her about to walk boldly from
the room.

"I can go down-stairs so your aunt won't know it, and open the front
door just as easy, and walk right out. She is in the kitchen and won't
hear me," Winifred answered; and with a warning word to be sure and be
at the stable at nine o'clock the next morning, the little girl opened
the door cautiously and disappeared.

After Winifred had gone Ruth ate her porridge. She began to think of
Gilbert's play, and of the fun it would be to take the part of the brave
young Frenchman. She walked about the room, looked at Cecilia and the
half-finished chair, and sighed deeply at the thought that she might be
rehearsing with Winifred and Gilbert, the pony and Hero, instead of
staying alone in her room.

At last she remembered her knitting, and took it up rather reluctantly.
"I do wish I hadn't worn Mother's dress," she thought. And she was
conscious of a little uncomfortable feeling as to Winifred's visit after
Aunt Deborah's refusal to admit her.

"But I didn't ask her to come, or help her," she finally decided;
although she began to wish that her friend had waited to tell her the
great news until the next day and so avoided deceiving Aunt Deborah.

But at last the long afternoon ended; and when the clock struck six
t