retty and gay, with all the lovers getting things
straightened out right?"

"Dear me, Jane, do you get all that out of this poor little comic opera?
I must have you come in to all our amateur things if you love music so."

"I don't love music so very much--I hate to practice. I shouldn't care
for their singing very much by itself, it's seeing the actors and
thinking how they feel--and their pretty clothes and----"

Mrs. Webb laughed.

"Chicken Little, I envy you--you are going to see so many things that
most people shut their eyes to."

Jane studied about this, but she hardly liked to ask what things Mrs.
Webb meant, because that lady seemed to expect her to know, and she felt
she would appear stupid not to. She lay awake a long time that night;
the music seemed to be splashing over her in little waves of melody.
Even after she had once fallen asleep, she awakened to find her brain
still humming the insistent measures. The next morning she went downtown
with her hostess and met Mamie Jenkins in a store.

"Why, Chicken Little, I didn't know you were in town? Your brother
didn't say anything about your being here."

"Frank? Is he in already?"

"Yes, I just saw him. Say, did you know a crowd of us are going out to
his house to-night to an oyster supper?"

"No, who's going?"

"Oh, a lot of the town boys and girls, and Grant Stowe and me. John
Hardy asked him if a crowd of us couldn't come out to-night and surprise
your sister, and Frank said come along, he'd have some hot oysters for
us. The boys have got a big bobsled from the livery stable. I bet we
have a lovely time. Why don't you and Sherm stay in and go out with
us--I guess there'll be room. Anyhow, you can always crowd more into a
bobsled, it's more fun when you're packed in."

Mamie giggled expressively.

Jane was surprised to learn that Sherm had come in with Frank and she
was also extremely doubtful whether her mother would approve of her
waiting to come out with the party. John Hardy's crowd was one of the
gayest in town and they were very much grown up. But her outing the
previous evening had given her a taste for grown-up things; she was
eager for the lark and resolved to tease Frank to let her stay in.

Frank studied the matter for several minutes, but finally consented
rather reluctantly. He saw Sherm was also keen for the fun.

"All right, Sis, that set are pretty old for a kid like you and I'll
have a time squaring myself with Mother. But y