ed, "Good
evening;" but nobody heard it. Dotty Dimple, not in the least abashed,
was about to do the honors, when Mr. and Mrs. Parlin came forward, and
relieved her of the trouble. They greeted the little people very
cordially, and gave them a pleasant welcome to the new house. Then Mrs.
Parlin directed her daughters to carry away the hats and sacques of the
young misses; and by the time this ceremony was over, the stiffness had
somewhat worn away, and Susy and Prudy could breathe more freely.

Flyaway went up first to one, and then to another, with the question,--

"Did you _came_ to see _me_?"

The two heads of the family retreated, Mr. Parlin saying to his wife as
they went,--

"When you and I were children, we had our parties in the afternoon; but
this is a new fashion, I suppose."

"It is the first time our little girls have ever received company in the
evening," replied Mrs. Parlin. "I do hope these children will not stay
late. It happens that I have made a large quantity of vinegar candy, but
not enough, I think, for the whole company."

"Very well," said Mr. Parlin; "and now, as the little people seem to be
doing very nicely, suppose we go out for a walk, and call at a
confectioner's on our way home."

Susy felt very much flattered by this surprise party. It gave her an
assurance that she was held in kind remembrance by her schoolmates, many
of whom had been "burnt out," and knew exactly how to sympathize with
her.

But Susy's satisfaction was by no means complete. In the first place,
Katie would not go to bed, and could not be persuaded to leave the room
any longer than just to bring in her ragged black Dinah, and the
yellow-and-white kitten.

Dinah was passed around the room to be pitied. There was a mustard
plaster on her chest, applied that day by Dotty, in order to break up a
lung fever. Dinah's ankle, which was really broken, had been "set" and
mended with a splinter, and was waiting for a new bone to grow. Percy
Eastman, the oldest boy present, said,--

"Well, cousin Dimple, you and Flyaway do take extra care of Miss Dinah!
If you should lose her, you can't have anything to reflect upon."

Susy did not so much mind the laughter at Dinah's expense; for, although
such a hideous black baby was not suitable for genteel society, still it
was Katie who was exhibiting it, and Katie was pardonable for the
weakness. The trying question was, What would the child do next? There
was nothing certain abou