see how long it will take the
wild man to take the form of Lucile Floyd Payton."

Half an hour later Lucile lifted the dainty mass of lace and chiffon from
her bed with a sigh of satisfaction. "When you're on, then we'll be all
ready. Guess I'll have to get Jane to do it up, though. I don't know just
how it goes yet."

Jane did the work satisfactorily; so well, in fact, that when she gave
the girl a little finishing pat and announced admiringly that "You surely
will be queen of the ball to-night, Miss Lucy," that young lady gave an
involuntary gasp of delight.

"Oh, it's pretty, it's pretty!" she cried.

"Indade, an' it's not the only thing that has a claim to beauty," said
Jane, with an admiring glance at her young mistress. "Now, you'd better
come down an' get a bite to ate, Miss Lucy, before iverything gets cold.
Ye needn't be worryin' 'bout yer looks the night," she prophesied.

"Thanks, Jane," cried Lucile, gaily. "I got ready in pretty good time,
after all, didn't I? Oh, there's the dinner gong and I am not a bit
hungry!"

"Excitement's no good on an empty stomach," said Jane sagely. "Take my
advice an' ate yer fill--ye'll be all the better for it."

"I'll do my best," she promised, and ran lightly down the stairs and into
the dining-room, where the family were already assembled.

"How do you like it?" she cried, dropping them a low curtsey and smiling
like a little witch. "It's the first time I've had it on, Mother and Dad
and Phil--how do you like it? Isn't it becoming?" and she executed
several little toe-dances which brought her so near Phil that he hugged
her impulsively.

"It's a peach, and so are you, Lucy. I didn't know you could look like
that," said he, eyeing her approvingly.

"It's a beauty," said her father, but his eyes were more for the rosy
cheeks and dancing eyes of his little girl than they were for the beloved
new dress.

Once, while Lucy and Phil were in the midst of an animated discussion
about some baseball game or other that they had seen recently, Mr. Payton
managed a sly wink in his wife's direction that said more plainly than
any words, "Aren't you proud of them? And they are all ours!"

At quarter past eight the first of Mrs. Wescott's young guests began to
arrive. They came in relays of three and four, all very excited and happy
and eager for a good time.

Promptly at eight thirty Lucile and Phil, with Jessie and a cousin of
hers, Jack Turnbull by name, started up the dr