sn't she come home with you in the afternoon? For
the past week she has come in long after school is out."

"Oh, she stops to talk and walk with Mignon," replied Marjorie, with an
air of elaborate carelessness. "They are very good friends."

Mrs. Dean seemed about to comment further on the subject when Delia
appeared in the doorway and distracted her attention to other matters.

Marjorie breathed a sigh of relief as she went upstairs. She was glad to
escape the further questions concerning Mary which her mother seemed
disposed to ask. Her gaiety had been evanescent and she now experienced
a feeling of positive gloom as she entered her pretty room and prepared
to bathe and dress for the evening. She could not resist a thrill of
pleasure at the sheer beauty of the white chiffon frock spread out on
her bed. She wondered if Mary would wear her pale blue silk evening
frock, or the white one with the lace over-frock. They were both
beautiful. But she had always loved Mary in white. She wondered if she
dared ask her to wear the white lace gown.

While she was dressing, through her half-opened door she heard Mary's
voice in the hall in conversation with her mother. Hastily slipping
into her pretty frock, she went to the door hooking it as she walked.
Mary was just appearing on the landing.

"Oh, Mary," she called genially, "do wear your white. You will look so
lovely in it."

"I'm going to wear my blue gown," returned Mary stolidly, and marched on
down the hall to her room, closing the door with a bang. "Just as though
I'd let her dictate to me what to wear," she muttered.

The two young girls made a pretty picture as they took their places at
the dinner table.

"I wish General were here to see you," sighed Mrs. Dean. Mr. Dean had
been called away on a business trip east.

"So do I," echoed Marjorie. "Things won't be quite perfect without him."

Neither girl ate much dinner. They were far too highly excited to do
justice to the meal. In spite of their estrangement they were both
looking forward to the dance.

At half-past seven o'clock Jerry and the rest of the reform party
arrived, buzzing like a hive of bees.

"Is she here yet?" whispered Jerry Macy in Marjorie's ear, after paying
her respects to Mrs. Dean and Mary, who, with Marjorie, received their
guests in the palm-decorated hall.

"No, she hasn't come. I suppose she will arrive late. You know she loves
to make a sensation." Marjorie could not resist this o