d," cried Mrs. Gray, patting him affectionately on the arm,
"you couldn't do anything I would disapprove of. If you wanted to rescue
Anne's doll I am sure you had some excellent reason for it."

Mrs. Gray had not heard the history of Anne's father, for Grace and her
friends had kept the secret well, and Anne, herself, had never cared to
tell the story. She was a quiet, reserved girl who talked little of her
own affairs.

"He _did_ have a good reason, Mrs. Gray," put in Grace, "and it was
enough to make him lose his temper. Julia Crosby is everlastingly
playing practical jokes and getting people into trouble. However, I
don't suppose she upset the tree on purpose," she added, thoughtfully.

"Well, well," exclaimed Mrs. Gray, "let us forget all about it and wind
up the party with a Virginia reel. Tom and Grace must lead it off, and
Anne, you and David watch the others so that when it comes your turn you
will be able to dance it yourselves."

So it was that Mrs. Gray's freshman Christmas ball ended as gayly as it
had started, with a romping, joyous Virginia reel. There was not a soul,
except the little old lady herself, who did not join the two long lines
stretching from one end of the rooms to the other and when it came
Anne's turn, she was not afraid to bow and curtsey as the others had
done, for she had quickly mastered the various figures of the dance.
Moreover, was she not wearing a beautiful dress of pink crepe de Chine?
After all a pretty dress does make a great difference. Anne felt she
could never have danced so well in the old black silk.

When the reel was over the boys and girls joined hands and formed an
immense circle about their charming hostess, whirling madly around her
as they cried:

"Three cheers for Mrs. Gray!"

The old lady was very happy. She waved her small, wrinkled hands at them
and called out over the din:

"Three cheers for my dear freshmen boys and girls!"

At length, when the hands of the clock pointed to two, and the last of
the dancers had departed, Mrs. Gray sank into a chair exhausted.

"I am tired," she said, "but I never in my life had such a good time!"

Was there ever a girl in the world who did not want to exchange
confidences with her best friends after a party?

Grace and Anne, therefore, were not surprised when two figures in
dressing gowns and slippers stole into their room, crouching on the rug
before the fire.

"We've all sorts of things to say," exclaimed Nora, "