ng a little when Nora was married," confessed
Jessica. "A church wedding seems so much more solemn, and Hippy was far
too busy being a dignified bridegroom to say funny things."

"He was perfect, wasn't he?" agreed Anne earnestly. "I never dreamed he
could look so reverent and devoted. I don't know which was nicer,
Jessica, Nora's wedding or yours. They were both beautiful." Happening
to catch David's grave eyes fixed searchingly upon her she flushed and
said hastily, "It must be almost time for the reception to begin."

"So it is, and if I'm not mistaken here come the first guests," remarked
Tom Gray.

For the next hour Jessica and Reddy were kept busy receiving the
congratulations of the steady in-pouring of friends who came to wish
them godspeed. Then followed the wedding supper, and it was almost
eleven o'clock when Jessica slipped away from her guests, and a little
later, appeared at the head of the stairs in a smart tailored suit of
brown, with hat, shoes and gloves to match. No secret had been made of
their departure, for their friends were not of those who delighted in
playing embarrassing and discomforting pranks. In fact, the majority of
the reception guests had departed, and it was their intimate friends who
were to see them off on their journey.

Surrounded by her loved ones, Jessica made a second triumphal journey
down the stairs. In the hall a halt was made and the dreaded good-byes
began. Jessica clung first to her father, then to her aunt. Her chums
came next and she was passed from one to the other of them with warm
expressions of affection and good will. Then the procession moved on and
the second halt was made at the drive where a limousine stood waiting to
receive the bridal pair. It glided away amid a shower of rice and
several old shoes, which had been carefully selected beforehand by
Hippy, David and Grace, leaving six of the Eight Originals gazing after
it with eloquent eyes in which lay the meaning of "Auld Lang Syne."

"I love weddings," gushed Hippy sentimentally, as the six strolled back
to the house. "I hope I shall have at least two more wedding invitations
this year."

No one answered this pointed sally. Nora gave her loquacious husband's
arm a warning pinch.

"Stop pinching my arm, Nora," he protested in a grieved tone. "How can
you be so cruel to little me?"

This was too much for the silent four. They looked into each other's
eyes and laughed. Then Dave said quietly, "Not this