"Hello!" responded Elizabeth, forgetting in her delight that this was
not a genteel salutation. "I'm awful glad to see you, Horace." This
was quite true; since he did not appear in the role of beau any more,
she was genuinely pleased at the sight of her old playmate. Rosie
expressed the same sentiment rapturously. Susie and Katie followed,
and even Eppie faltered out some words of welcome.

"How did you come to be here?" Elizabeth asked.

"Mr. Coulson told me there was a concert, and I just coaxed mamma to
let me come until she was nearly crazy and just had to let me. I can
manage her all right. Papa's different, though. He wouldn't let me
come with Mr. Coulson alone, and I wanted to!" His handsome face
curled up in a pout. "They always tag round after me as if I was a
kid. But Mr. Coulson fixed it up. Say, he's a dandy. He came over
and coaxed papa to let me come, and he got Aunt Jarvis to come, too.
That's Aunt Jarvis next the stove. She likes Mr. Coulson awful well
and said she'd come to oblige him, and then mamma said she'd come, too.
Madeline intended to come, too, but she was going to a party. She goes
to one 'most every night. I wish I could, but I always get sick. Say,
Lizzie, I've got a new dog, and I hitch him to my sleigh, and oh, say,
he's the dandiest fun----"

But Elizabeth was not listening. She was too much overcome by the
wonderful news. Mrs. Jarvis, the fairy god-mother, who had always
seemed unreal, was really and truly there in the flesh! She could
scarcely believe it.

Horace, finding his audience inattentive, moved away, chatting volubly
to all his old friends, and the next moment Jean came crushing her way
through the crowd to Elizabeth's side, her eyes shining with excitement.

"Lizzie, aunt sent me to tell you to do your very, very best. Mrs.
Jarvis is really and truly down there," she whispered excitedly. "And
she says to be sure and smooth your hair just before your dialogue, and
don't for the world let your boot laces come untied. And when it's all
over, aunt says you're to come down with her and be introduced."

Elizabeth did not hear a word of her sister's admonitions. She
realized only that Mrs. Jarvis was there to watch her act in a
dialogue! Her heart stood still at the thought, and then went on again
madly.

Meanwhile, Mary had spread the news of the town visitors, and all the
girls were in a flutter.

"It's too bad," Katie Price whispered to Rosie,