"How are you getting on with your play, Emma?" she asked.

"I still have the title," returned Emma blandly, "but I can't decide
upon my characters. There are so many shining lights at Wayne Hall. You
know my play is entitled "Life at Wayne Hall; Or, the Expressman's
Surprise." The only character I've actually decided upon is the
expressman. I am obliged to have him because he is in the sub-title. I
decided long ago on my opening speech, however. The expressman opens the
play by saying, 'I can't wait all day, lady.' Isn't that realistic? So
true to life!"

"In the face of such an offering, Emma, I am satisfied that it would be
sheer folly for any of us to enter the lists," assured Patience.

"Of course, I don't wish to discourage any of you," deprecated Emma with
the droll little smile for which she was noted. "But to give Emma Dean
and her wonderful ability as a playwright a rest, what is new?"

"We are talking of giving a masquerade," volunteered Patience.

"Who is included in 'we'?" asked Laura Atkins.

"Grace, Arline and I were talking it over to-day. We thought of giving a
Famous Fiction masquerade."

"What is a Famous Fiction masquerade?" asked Emma curiously.

Whereupon Patience entered into an explanation of the proposed gayety
while the girls listened with willing ears. While they were discussing
it, Elfreda Briggs appeared in the doorway and Patience knew that she
could now return to her room without running the risk of interrupting a
heart-to-heart talk. But she smiled to herself as she thought that while
she had been casting about for some way to help Kathleen, Elfreda had
found it.

CHAPTER XX

THE MYSTERIOUS "PETER RABBIT"

The gymnasium had, perhaps, never held a more motley crowd of revelers
than on the night of the Famous Fiction masquerade. The faculty, who had
been particularly interested in the idea of the masquerade, declared
that for originality it was in line with 19--'s usual efforts. They
occupied seats in the gallery and amused themselves with trying to guess
the identity of the various maskers and the books or famous book
characters which they represented.

It had been decided that as so many of the famous book titles did not
lend themselves to impersonation, famous characters in fiction might
also be impersonated. Therefore, when the longed-for night came round,
heroes and heroines, with whose adventures and doings the book-lover's
world is familiar, walked about, arm i