having two girls in society!"
said the Mayor, genially, winding one of Teresa's curls about his fat
finger. "What's this for, now? Somebody graduating?"

"It's Mother Superior's Golden Jubilee," explained Teresa, "and there
will be a reunion of 'lumnae, and plays by the girls, you know, and
duets by the big girls, and needlework by the Spanish girls. And our
room and Sister Claudia's is giving a new chapel window, a dollar a
girl, and Sister Ligouri's room is giving the organ bench."

"And our room is giving a spear," said Alanna, uncertainly.

"A spear, darlin'?" wondered her mother. "What would you give that to
Superior for?" Jim and Dan looked up expectantly, the Mayor's mouth
twitched. Alanna buried her face in her mother's neck, where she
whispered an explanation.

"Well, of course!" said Mrs. Costello, presently, to the company at
large. Her eye held a warning that her oldest sons did not miss. "As
she says, 'tis a ball all covered with islands and maps, Dad. A globe,
that's the other name for it!"

"Ah, yes, a spear, to be sure!" assented the Mayor, mildly, and Alanna
returned to view.

"But the best of the whole programme is the grandchildren's part,"
volunteered Teresa. "You know, Mother, the girls whose mothers went to
Notre Dame are called the 'grandchildren.' Alanna and I are, there are
twenty-two of us in all. And we are going to have a special march and a
special song, and present Superior with a bouquet!"

"And maybe Teresa's going to present it and say the salutation!"
exulted Alanna.

"No, Marg'ret Hammond will," Teresa corrected her quickly. "Marg'ret's
three months older than me. First they were going to have me, but
Marg'ret's the oldest. And she does it awfully nicely, doesn't she,
Alanna? Sister Celia says it's really the most important thing of the
day. And we all stand round Marg'ret while she does it. And the best of
it all is, it's a surprise for Superior!"

"Not a surprise like Christmas surprises," amended Alanna,
conscientiously. "Superior sort of knows we are doing something,
because she hears the girls practising, and she sees us going upstairs
to rehearse. But she will p'tend to be surprised."

"And it's new dresses all 'round, eh?" said her father.

"Oh, yes, we must!" said Teresa, anxiously.

"Well, I'll see about it," promised Mrs. Costello.

"Don't you want to afford the expense, mother?" Alanna whispered in her
ear. Mrs. Costello was much touched.

"Don't you worry