for reserved seats?" asked the gentleman,
laughing.

"Suppose we give him an arm-chair and make him pay a dollar for it,"
suggested Miss Hazeltine.

"He is a very nice man," Bess whispered to Dora. "We wish he would
marry Cousin Helen, for then he would be related to us."

"Upon my word!" Miss Hazeltine exclaimed, so suddenly that Bess gave a
guilty start, "I have forgotten my office; come here and be decorated
before any more arrive." From a basket she took a handful of badges.

"What are these for?" Louise asked as her cousin pinned one on her
shoulder.

"You will find out by and by," said Uncle William, coming in with a
red rose in his buttonhole.

And now the fun began. The children came in so rapidly that Cousin
Helen had to have an assistant to fasten on the badges, and Mr.
Hazeltine was here, there, and everywhere, seeing that no one was left
out of the good time. They played games and danced, grown people and
all, and later in the evening Mr. Frank Hazeltine actually induced
Aunt Marcia to take part in "Tucker," to the delight of her young
relatives.

It was particularly exciting when Uncle William was "Tucker." They
came through the grand right and left positively breathless, and
everybody was glad of a few minutes' rest before supper.

"Isn't it strange that Dora does not have prettier dresses?" Elsie
Morris whispered to the girl next her. "I like her ever so much, but
she wears the plainest clothes."

As she spoke Dora passed to join Bess, who was beckoning to her from
the other side of the room. She heard enough of what was said to make
her color deepen as she went straight on.

"Elsie, she knew you were talking about her," cried Constance Myer.

"No, she didn't," Elsie insisted, feeling very much ashamed.

"She won't have any use for you after this," remarked Jim Carter, who
was standing near. He found that he was mistaken, however. When they
were decorating themselves with the tissue-paper caps and favors found
in the bonbons, Elsie, who was a most fastidious little mortal,
exclaimed, "I wish my cap was not green. I can't wear it with a blue
dress."

"I'll change with you, for mine is blue and I like green quite as
well."

It was Dora who stood beside her, holding out the cap. Poor Elsie was
greatly abashed and couldn't say a word, but Dora insisted.

"Please take it; I want you to have it, you will look so pretty in
it."

She was exceedingly surprised when Elsie put her arms around h