.

Now her thoughts turned to her trunks of unused finery. What possible
objection could Miss Harlowe have to her selling what was rightfully
hers? If she wished to dispose of certain of her own possessions it was
surely no one's affair save her own. Althea Parker, who was Evelyn's
friend, and the leader of a clique of the richest girls at Overton, had
been given an opportunity to see the contents of one of the trunks and
had gone into ecstacies over the dainty hats and frocks Jean had
displayed for her benefit. "For goodness' sake _where_ did you get such
lovely things?" had been Althea's curious question. "They must have cost
a lot of money."

"Do you think the girls in your set would be interested in them?" Jean
had asked, ignoring the other girl's question. "I--I should like to sell
them to any one who wants them. I must have some money. I need it at
once."

"Sell them?" Althea's eye-brows had been elevated in surprise. "How
funny." Then her natural selfishness coming strongly to the surface, she
had said hastily. "I'd love to have that green chiffon evening gown.
It's never been worn, has it?" She decided it was not her business if
Miss Brent chose to sell her clothes. Jean had gravely assured her that
everything in the trunk was perfectly new and fresh, and Althea had,
then and there, bargained for almost a hundred dollars' worth of finery,
and promised to interest the girls of her set in Jean's possessions.

It was not until after Althea had gone that Jean remembered Grace's
objection to her proposed sale. She decided that she could not have the
sale after all. She would sell Althea the things she wished and tell her
the circumstances. But when she laid the matter before Althea the latter
had said lightly, "Oh, don't let a little thing like that worry you.
It's none of Miss Harlowe's business. Besides, I've told my friends, and
they are dying to see your things. Evelyn told me to-day that Miss
Harlowe was going to New York City on Friday night. You can have the
girls come up here on Saturday afternoon. I'll invite Evelyn to luncheon
and keep her away until after six o'clock. She wouldn't like it if she
knew. She's a regular goody-goody this year. What you must do is to get
the things out of the other trunks. Then the girls can see them. I'll
come to-morrow for these things I've selected; so have them wrapped up
for me. If we manage it quietly no one need be the wiser, for the girls
won't breathe a word of it