her life--a soft, thin, floaty one."

"Would you like to have hers just like yours, Glory?"

"Just, auntie. She's the--the _friendest_ friend I ever had," Glory
said simply. "I'd like to have her close when I'm there getting ready
to read."

And so it came about that graduation day found the Other Girl beside
Glory, in a beautiful white dress that lay about her in soft, sheer
folds. The Other Girl's face above it was shining and rapt. This was
almost like graduating herself. On the other side of Glory sat Tiny
Tim, in the conscious pride of his best suit. There was no little
crutch in sight. Timmie had hidden it under the seat. He was playing
"Uncrutchit."

"You can't see--an'thing, can you?" he whispered anxiously to the
Other Girl, across Glory's lap.

"Not a splinter of it, Timmie."

"An' you don't see where my legs don't match, do you?"

"No, not a single bit."

"That's all right, then." Timmie's brow smoothed with relief. He was
silent a moment, and then his little whispering voice again, this
time to Glory:

"Say, isn't this just splendid! I'm playin', an' Di's playin'. You're
the only one that's _it_, honest true."

Another silence. Then, "Say, I'm sorry I wokened you up that time,
screamin' 'Fire!'"

Glory laughed down into the repentant little face. "I'll forgive you,
Timmie," she whispered. And then the exercises began and the air was
full of a blast of jubilant music.

When it was all over, the three went back to Little Douglas together
on the train. There was to be a bit of a banquet in Aunt Hope's room.

Glory had a neat white parchment roll in her hand, and she held it
shyly, as if she had not had time to get very well acquainted with
it.

"To think this is a diploma with Gloria Wetherell in Latin inside
it!" she cried.

"To think this is a beautiful white dress with _me_ inside!" answered
the Other Girl. "Do you know--oh, do you _know_, it doesn't smell of
rubber at all? There isn't a whiff about it; it's just sweet and
dainty and--_other-folksy_."

On the train the Crosspatch Conductor drew Glory aside a moment. His
eyes rested first on the parchment roll.

"Got it, didn't you? Good! Well, I've got it too. She's
consented--grandma has. I've told her all about the other one, and
what you said, and it's going to be all right. We won't tell her yet
until we get kind of used to it ourselves, don't you see?"

"Oh, I'm so glad!" cried Glory, clasping her hands. "I don't believe
I eve