ll w'ar yo' black lace an' diments?"

"Black lace and diamonds," said Miss Ann, "but I shall have to begin
darning immediately. Lace is very perishable."

"It sho' is," agreed Billy. Far be it from him to remind his mistress
that the black lace had been going long enough to deserve a pension.
So Miss Ann darned and darned on the old black lace and with ammonia
and a discarded tooth brush she cleaned the diamond necklace and
earrings and the high comb set with brilliants and her many rings. It
was exciting to be going to a ball again. It had been many a year
since she had even been invited to one. She was as pleased as a child
over having an invitation all to herself--not that she would let
anyone know it, but she let old Billy express his gratification.

"I tell you, Miss Ann, that there Colonel Crutcher air folks, him an'
Judge Middleton both. They don't put on no airs but they's folksy
enough not ter have ter. I reckon they knowed you's a gonter be the
belle er the ball wheresomever it air an' that's the reason they done
brung you a spechul invite."

The old men of the town met on the Rye House porch after supper that
night to report progress.

"Everything's goin' fine," was the general report.

"Not an out-and-out refusal yet."

"Came mighty near not getting Miss Judith," said Colonel Crutcher.
"First she couldn't leave her mother and then when we told her Mrs.
Buck was especially invited she put up a plea of not having the right
kind of dress. Said she'd look like Cinderella after the clock struck
twelve. But the Judge and I looked so miserable over it that the child
finally said she'd come, but I reckon she'll be wearing an old
dress."

"Looks like she's got so many businesses she might buy herself a
dress," suggested one.

"Not her. She's saving every cent to put guano on the land."

"Well, beauty unadorned is adorned the most," mused Major Fitch.

"Say, I got a idee," put in Pete Barnes.

"Go to it, Pete! Your idees are something worth while here lately.
What is it?"

"What's the reason we can't get little Judy a dress over to
Louisville? Us old men can all chip in an' it wouldn't amount to mor'n
a good nights losin' at poker."

"She's right proud. Do you reckon she'd get her back up and decline to
accept it?" asked Judge Middleton.

"Not Judith. She's not the kind to be hunting slights, but suppose we
send it to her anonymous like and pretend her fairy godmother had
something to do with it,"