ke her by the arm and escort her out
of doors."

"No, you won't. I know you!" Bet patted her friend lovingly.

"Just the same, I hope her mother will keep her at home on account of
the snow storm."

Kit did better than she thought she could. The fact that the four
Merriweather Girls were the hostesses and received the guests as they
came in, gave Kit prestige that Edith dared not ignore.

Some of the guests in gay and weird costumes had arrived when the phone
rang. Laura Sands' voice was husky with crying. "Oh Bet, I can't
come. I've ruined my costume and I won't go without one."

"You come right along up here, Laura. I have lot of costumes and you
can take your pick."

Laura arrived in ordinary clothes and Bet and Kit conducted her to the
attic to choose a Colonial gown.

When the door to the narrow stairway was opened, Bet heard a queer
scraping sound as if one of the old trunks had been moved.

"What's that?" asked Kit. "Do you suppose it's rats?"

"No, don't worry! It isn't anything!" But as Bet switched on the
light and reached the top step she was just in time to see a figure in
bright clothes go out the window. She heard the sound of a thud on the
veranda of the second floor and running feet along the corridor.

"Somebody was in here!" exclaimed Bet.

"Don't be silly, Bet! I thought you were too big to be frightened in
the dark."

"Well look at that window, Kit Patten! Did we leave it open? We
certainly didn't. And look how the costumes are all tumbled out of the
chests! A man has been in here, anyway. I saw him slide out that
window."

"And look at the footprints!" exclaimed Kit.

"Nothing to worry about. This is a costume party and someone is
playing a trick on us," decided Kit.

"Maybe so," assented Bet. "But if so, why didn't they play their
tricks instead of just mussing things up and then running away?"

Grabbing a gown of gold cloth, Bet exclaimed, "Come on, girls, let's
get out of here. It's spooky!"

"Lock the window first, Bet. Then if anyone is prowling around they
can't get back this way," Kit suggested.

"Who could it have been?" puzzled Bob Evans when they reported the
episode to the guests. "I know all the boys, and none of them would do
a thing like that."

Phil and Bob rushed out to the veranda but saw no one on the grounds.
Uncle Nat's sharp eyes soon picked up the footprints in the snow and
followed them to the road where they were lost. On his re