rived when Molly let herself into the
beautiful living room of the apartment, which was now turned into a
dining room. The drop-leaf mahogany table had been drawn into the middle
of the floor and was set with dazzling linen and silver for eight
persons.

"I wonder who the other two are," thought Molly.

"Is that you, Molly, dear?" called Mary from the bedroom. "Well, come
and hook my dress--" how many yards of hooks and eyes had Molly joined
together that evening! "And here's something for you. Willie, when he
found out you were taking him, sent you some violets."

"Heavens!" cried the young girl, after she had finished Mary and opened
the large purple box. "Oh, Mary, this bunch is big enough for three
people."

"It's only intended for one, and that's you," laughed the other.

The bouquet was indeed as large as a soup plate.

"I don't think I'd better wear them to dinner. I couldn't see over them.
I should feel as if I were carrying a violet bed on my chest."

"And so you are. No doubt it took all the violets from one large double
bed for that bunch. But you had better wear them at first, and take
them off at the table. Brother Willie is one of the touchiest young
persons imaginable. Father and I have always called him 'the sensitive
plant.'"

Hastily Molly pinned on the enormous bunch, which covered the entire
front of her dress.

"They are coming now," she said, hearing steps in the next room; and,
peeping through the door, she beheld "Brother Willie" himself,
resplendent in his evening clothes, in company with two other equally
resplendent beings, all wearing white gardenias in their buttonholes.

"My goodness, they look like a wedding!" Molly whispered to her friend.

"Aren't they grand?" laughed Mary. "And here I am as plain as an old
shoe, and never will be anything else."

"You are the finest thing I know," exclaimed Molly, tucking her arm
through her friend's and allowing herself to be led rather timidly into
the living room.

The third girl at this fine affair was another post-grad., and presently
Molly rejoiced to see Miss Grace Green enter with her brother, Edwin.
Miss Green looked very pretty and young. She kissed Molly and told her
she was a dear, and smelt the violets and pinched her cheek, glancing
slyly at the three young men, any one of whom might have burdened her
with that huge bouquet. And did not such bouquets argue something more
than ordinary friendship?

As for the Professor, he