," and Jefferson lost no time in
going.

"You'd better bring the whole outfit--I--er--I mean you'd better bring
the other young ladies to the Hall," called Mr. Ford, deciding that if
Beverly was a sample of the Leslie Manor girls it would be just as well
to see more of the material. Had he caught the sudden flash in Archie's
eyes perhaps he would have grown a bit wiser.

Twenty minutes later all five girls were seated in Mrs. Kilton's cozy
living room, the boys, and the instructors who had shifted into
drawing-room garments in record time, serving hot chocolate and little
iced cakes.

As they were not expected home until five anyway there was no cause for
concern. There would be no alarm at Leslie Manor. Meanwhile Jefferson,
who had looked after the horses, was holding the floor in the servant's
quarters. If a report of that afternoon's experiences did reach Leslie
Manor he meant to have first scoop.

After an hour spent very delightfully, for Mr. Ford was attention itself
to Beverly, to Archie's ill-concealed disgust, Hope MacLeod advised a
move toward home. As they were about to start Beverly asked sweetly:

"Oh, dear Mrs. Kilton, would you mind if Athol showed me his room? You
know we have never before in all our lives been separated and I get so
homesick for him and his traps it just seems as though I couldn't stand
it."

"Why of course you may go up, my dear," smiled kindly Mrs. Kilton. She
was too wholesome to see the least impropriety in so simple a request.

"Oh, hold on a second, Ath. Keep her a minute until I rush up and stow a
few of our duds. We didn't stop to slick things up when we shifted," and
Archie bounded away.

"Come on now, Bev. I reckon he's had time to make Number 70 presentable,"
said Athol three minutes later, and the brother and sister went demurely
from the room.

CHAPTER IX

WHILE GOBLINS DANCED

Although in little sympathy with frivolous forms of entertainment, Miss
Woodhull did condescend to a Hallowe'en Masquerade each year, and two
nights after Beverly's John Gilpin performance the girls were preparing
for the dance in the big gymnasium.

A collection had been taken up among the sixty girls constituting the
academic grades and a couple of musicians engaged for the occasion. They
came from an adjacent town where they formed part of a colored orchestra
of more than local fame, which was in great demand for miles