spleased.

"I don't understand," remarked Helen; "what did she say yes _to_?" and
this of course brought down the house.

After supper was over they danced and played games till, all too soon,
the evening was over.

"Good times never last quite long enough," Louise said, as her uncle
was arranging for the farewell Virginia reel.

"I thought they lasted the year around," remarked Mr. Caruth, who
stood beside her.

"I mean special ones," she answered gayly, as she went off with him to
take her place, leaving Ikey rather crestfallen.

The others had quickly paired off: Carl and Dora, Aleck and Bess, Jim
and Elsie, Will and Constance. Elsie called "Tucker" aggravatingly as
she passed.

"Anyway, I didn't want to dance with her," he said to himself.

Miss Hazeltine was playing for them, and Aunt Marcia sat with Miss
Brown looking on; Aunt Zelie stood in the doorway.

She smiled at Ikey when he looked in her direction, saying: "Do you
want a partner?"

His gloom turned to rapture. "Oh! Mrs. Howard, will you?"

"I'll try," she answered, as they took their places, his heart beating
quickly with pride and delight. And never was a dance performed with
more reverent devotion.

"Why, Aunt Zelie, that is not fair!" called Carl, as he and Dora
danced down the middle and back again.

"I didn't know you danced, Mrs. Howard," said Jim, upon whom Ikey cast
a triumphant glance.

When it was over she was besieged with partners for another, but she
refused, declaring it was too late.

So ended Uncle William's surprise party.

When the door had closed on the last guest and Bess at the piano was
playing a snatch of a waltz, Carl pounced upon his aunt and carried
her off before she knew it.

"Ikey shall not get ahead of _me_," he said, as after sailing twice
around the room he dropped her breathless on the sofa.

CHAPTER XXIII.

JIM.

For various reasons, after a flourishing existence of two winters, the
G.N. Club was given up, or perhaps it should be said was merged in the
Order of the Big Front Door, which still held monthly meetings, and
whose members wore their silver keys and tried in different ways to
carry out their motto.

There was hardly time in the press of school work for the weekly
meetings, and, besides, out of the little club had grown what was
known as the Boys' Civic League, an organization among schoolboys, in
which, under the direction of one of their professors, they studied
the history