he firm, square chin and rose
above the brow in a quaint, coquettish peak which was vastly graceful
and becoming.

"O Miss Blake!" cried Nan, her eyes flashing with pleasure, "isn't it
the darlingest thing? And as warm as toast! I'll be ever and ever so
careful of it. You're awfully good to lend it to me. But I really
think I oughtn't to take it. Something might happen; it might get
lost."

"Don't give it another thought," Miss Blake said, kindly. "Just wear
it and keep warm and comfortable. You must take the gloves, too. They
will keep your fingers cozy."

So Nan set out looking like a young Russian in her borrowed furs and
feeling what satisfaction she might in the consciousness that she was
appearing, if not behaving, at her best.

She found most of the party already assembled at Mrs. Cole's and as the
door was opened to her, a loud chorus of shouting laughter met her ears
and she was laid hold of by a dozen hands and dragged forward under the
gaslight.

"Pooh!" shrieked the chorus again. "This one's easy enough! Nan
Cutler! first guess," and she was released as hurriedly as she had been
set upon, while the entire company fell upon a later comer and tried to
discover the identity of the muffled, veiled individual before she had
either spoken or recovered from the unexpected onslaught.

"Well, Nan," cried Harley Morris, jovially, "you're the only girl who
isn't muffled out of all recognition. We've had a dandy time trying to
identify some of them."

"I never saw you look so well," declared Louie Hawes, generously, with
her eyes glued to the fascinating peak.

"Nor I," broke in Mary Brewster. "Really, I didn't know you at first.
That hood is as disguising to you as our veils are to us."

Nan flushed, but made no response. Harley Morris gave a low whistle
and strolled off to join John Gardiner, who was standing before the
fire talking with grave-faced Mr. Cole, and as he went she heard him
murmur under his breath:

"Sweet remark! Oh, these dear girl friends!"

It instantly changed her feeling from momentary resentment toward Mary
to pity for her.

All at once Mrs. Cole's shrill treble was heard high above the hum and
murmur of the other voices, crying:

"Now, girls and boys, time's almost up! It any of the party's missing,
he or she will be left behind! Prompt's the word."

Then, stepping over to her husband, she tapped him lightly on the
shoulder and said:

"There now, Tom, I'm glad