I was about it, I might as well make a clean
sweep: it was no wickeder to have a big party than a little one. I was
sorry enough that boys were not in fashion, for I wanted a few. There
was Tommy Gordon in particular, who always had his pockets full of
"lickerish" and pep'mints; it was as much as I could do to help asking
him. As for Gust Allen, I would as soon have had a wild monkey, and
that is the truth.

I trudged home at noon, with my eyes looking strange, I know. I had
done my _speaking_, and now I began to _think_. It came over me like a
little whirlwind. I realized for the first time what I had done.

Ruth was hurrying up the dinner.

"Don't come near me, child," said she. "I've got _my_ hands full."

I went into the sitting-room. There was mother on the sofa, bathing
her head with cologne. It didn't seem much like having a party! She
could eat no dinner, and father said she looked as if she ought to be
in bed.

"I feel almost sick enough to be in bed," said she; "but I must help
Mrs. Duffy put down that parlor carpet. I have waited for her ever
since the carpet was made, and this was the very first day she could
come."

"O, dear," thought I, "where'll I have my party?"

"Can't Mrs. Duffy put the carpet down alone?" asked father.

"No; she would skew it badly."

"But, my dear, you are sick; why not have Ruth help her?"

"Ruth does not understand the business as well as I do; and more than
that, we have a large quantity of raspberries to be made into jelly.
They would spoil if they were kept over Sunday."

Worse and worse! Who was going to get supper for my party?

Then I remembered that wonderful _something_ which Lize Jane had
promised to bring in the covered dish,--that delicious mystery which
had been the first cause of getting me into trouble. Perhaps there
would be enough of it to go round, and we could finish off with cake.
I began to think it wasn't much matter what we had to eat.

While life lasts I shall never forget that horrible afternoon. What
could I say? What could I do? I felt as Horace used to, as if I
should "go a-flyin'." I ran into the parlor where mother and Mrs.
Duffy were putting down the carpet, and hopped about till I got a tack
in my foot; and after mother had drawn it out, and I had done crying,
I ventured to say,--

"Mamma, there's a little girl coming to see me this afternoon. Are you
willing?"

"This afternoon? Who?"

She might have asked who wasn't coming, and I