rlish
voices; and there, standing in the doorway, were Laura and Maud and
Mary; and at sight of their faces, at sound of their voices, Ally's
dread began to vanish. And then, just then, it was that Peter, who had
been banished to the hall, called out uproariously, "Ally's come! Ally's
come! give her a kiss! give her a kiss!" and Mary called out after him,
"I taught him to say that; I taught him more 'n a month ago."

"'More 'n a month ago'! Oh!" breathed Ally under her breath, "she liked
me well enough for this _more 'n a month ago_!"

Uncle John and Aunt Kate and Laura and Maud and Mary were looking on,
and they knew what Ally was thinking of,--the very words of it,--by that
sudden radiant smile upon her face; and Mary was so pleased thereat, she
had to cry out,--

"Oh, what a jolly Thanksgiving this is! Could anything be added to make
it jollier?"

But something _was_ added. When they were all at the dinner-table that
night,--mother and father and girls and the three boys who had just come
up from their boarding-school that very morning,--this telegram was
brought in from Uncle Tom,--

"Thanks for word of Ally's safety. All send love. Florence is writing to
her."

Ally's eyes opened wide with astonishment at this conclusion. Florence!
Aunt Kate read the meaning of that astonished look, and sent a glance to
Ally that said as plainly as _words_ could say, "You see, even Florence
didn't mean as badly as you thought."

AN APRIL FOOL.

CHAPTER I.

"Have you written it, Nelly?"

"Yes, I have it here in my pocket. I'll show it to you when I get a
chance."

"Oh, show it now! There's as good a chance now as you'll have, for the
rest of the girls are all on the other side of the room. Come;" and
Lizzy Ryder held out her hand coaxingly.

Nelly sent a quick glance around the school-room, and then took from her
pocket a small square envelope. The envelope was directed to Miss Angela
Jocelyn. Lizzy Ryder gave a little giggle as she read this name; but as
she drew forth the note-sheet and read written upon it in a slender
pointed handwriting, "Miss Marian Selwyn requests the pleasure of Miss
Angela Jocelyn's company on the evening of April 1st," her giggle became
a smothered shriek, and she said to her cousin,--

"Oh, Nelly, it's perfect; she'll never suspect. It looks just like
Marian Selwyn's writing. Wouldn't it be too good if we could somehow get
hold of Angela's acceptance and keep it back, a