half the enjoyment
is in planning and carrying on the plot. Come now, girls, let us get up
a little feast to-morrow evening. You know Miss Loxley will be out
again, as her aunt is still sick; and the French teacher always goes
home at dusk, as she does not sleep here.

_Miss Watkins._ But if Mrs. Middleton should discover us.

_Henrietta._ No. Her sister and brother-in-law are coming to spend the
evening with her, and to bring a lady and gentleman from Connecticut.
To-morrow is the very best night we can possibly have. Leave it all to
me, and I will engage that there shall be no discovery; and we will get
the little girls to bed very early, that we may have the longer time to
enjoy ourselves.

_Several of the young ladies._ O, indeed we are afraid!

_Henrietta._ Nonsense--I will answer for it that there shall be no cause
for fear. Why, we did these things fifty times at Madame Disette's, and
were never once detected. Come, I will lay down a dollar as the first
contribution towards the feast. Brownie, how much will you give?

_Miss Brownlow._ I will give half a dollar.

_Miss Watkins._ And I will give a dollar and a half. I have always
plenty of money.

_Henrietta._ Well done, Watty. And you Scotty, how much?

_Miss Scott._ A quarter of a dollar is all I have left.

_Miss Wilcox._ And I have only ten cents.

_Henrietta._ O, poor Coxey! But never mind, you shall have as large a
share of the good things as any of us, notwithstanding you can only
muster ten cents. And now, Snoddy?

_Miss Snodgrass._ Why, I will give a quarter of a dollar and eight
cents. I have another quarter of a dollar, but I wish to keep it to buy
a bottle of Cologne water.

_Henrietta._ Pho.--Try to live another week without the Cologne.

_Miss Snodgrass._ No indeed,--I never in my life had a bottle of Cologne
water all to myself, to use just as I pleased; and I really have set my
mind on it.

_Henrietta._ Well, we must try to do without Snoddy's other
quarter-dollar. Well, Bob, what say you?

_Miss Roberts._ I will give half a dollar.

_Henrietta._ O, Bob, Bob! You have more than that, I am sure.

_Miss Roberts._ Yes, I have another half dollar, but I wish to buy the
book of Fairy Tales you told me of.

_Henrietta._ O, never mind buying the Fairy Tales! I will tell you all
of them without charging for my trouble. Come now, be good and give the
whole dollar, and we will have an iced pound-cake.

_Miss Roberts._ Well, if you will