Occasion! Her romantic heart thought it came very near being more
thrilling than a Real Party! It was a way of living after her own
conception of life!

"But if I had known about it I could have dressed up, too. _I_ have a
Party Dress!"

"You have plenty of time to go put it on, if you wish." Elinor smiled
for the little air of pride with which the girl had announced her
possession. "There's oceans of time for you to change. Dinner isn't
until seven."

Arethusa bounded from her chair. "Oh, really ... may I?"

Elinor nodded. "Would you like me to help you?" she added.

But Arethusa was already halfway up the front stairs by the time she
had finished her friendly offer.

She dived down into her trunk, recklessly pitching out and aside all
those garments Miss Eliza had folded so carefully and placed into it as
she had considered Arethusa would be needing them. For the one white
dress Miss Letitia had made for parties was far down towards the very
bottom of the trunk. It is well that Miss Eliza did not see this
unpacking!

Still further down, Arethusa lifted up a box she had put there herself,
tucking it in when Miss Eliza had not been present to observe, and from
it she drew that length of green ribbon which she loved. Unknown to her
aunt, it had travelled all the way from the hollow tree to Lewisburg
for Arethusa's adorning.

"I will _not_!" she said aloud, defiantly, as though Miss Eliza were
actually present in person forbidding the tying-on of that decoration,
"I will _not_ wear a blue ribbon! I will wear This!"

Then Arethusa, thus arrayed in her best, descended the stairs once
more.

She crossed the library towards the two by the fire, this time stepping
proudly in a consciousness of clothes, holding her head high. Her
cheeks were adorably flushed, and her eyes were almost black under her
long dark lashes.

The dress was very becoming, even if it were not of the accepted
standards for formal evening wear. Miss Letitia had "spre'd herse'f,"
so Mandy said, on that dress. It was a trifle sheerer than Miss Eliza
had at first intended it to be, thanks to Miss Asenath's gentle
persuasion; round in the neck and even a bit low, for with fingers that
trembled in their excited daring Miss Letitia had cut it down farther
than the line Miss Eliza had indicated as modest and becoming. And then
there was no way to fill it in.

But "'Thusa had such a pretty neck," said the guilty seamstress to
herself; and what d