Sherman, looking around from one to another with a
distressed face.

"No, mothah," cried the Little Colonel, "Betty didn't go, and she tried
to keep us from goin'. She said you wouldn't like it."

A loving smile of unspoken approval, that made Betty's heart glow with
pleasure, lighted Mrs. Sherman's face for an instant. Then she turned to
the others.

"Well, I'll send for Doctor Fuller immediately. If it proves to be the
measles, we will turn the house into a hospital at once. If the old
saying is true that misery loves company, then you ought to be a
contented quartette."

"Oh, I've already had the measles," said Betty, quickly, "two years
ago."

"Then I'm glad that you will not have to suffer for the disobedience of
the others," answered her godmother. "It has brought its own punishment
this time, so I'll not add a scolding. I'll leave the measles, if that's
what it turns out to be, to preach you a sermon on the text, 'Be sure
your sin will find you out.'"

Sally Fairfax welcomed no guests from Locust that night at her party,
for the doctor made his visit and pronounced his verdict. No parties for
many a long day. Lloyd and Eugenia and Joyce had the measles, and nobody
would want Betty to come for fear of the contagion.

Mrs. Sherman and Eliot and Mom Beck went from one darkened room to
another with hot lemonade, and Betty was left to roam about the place by
herself. Once she slipped into the sewing-room where the tissue-paper
costumes were laid out in readiness beside the dainty little
flower-shaped hats. Joyce's was patterned after a pale blue
morning-glory, and Eugenia's a scarlet poppy. Lloyd's looked like a pink
hyacinth, and Betty's a daffodil.

"It's too bad," mourned Betty, tilting the graceful daffodil blossom of
a hat on her brown curls, and admiring it in the mirror. "_I_ haven't
got the measles, and this is so sweet, it's a pity not to wear it
somewhere."

Late that evening she heard the Little Colonel grumbling: "Well, this is
a house pahty suah enough, I must say! Heah we are in the house, and
heah we'll stay and miss all the fun. I don't like this kind of a house
pahty!"

"Nevah mine, honey," said Mom Beck. "It'll not be as bad as you think.
The measles is done broke out on you beautiful--as thick as hops."

"But I hate this dahk room," wailed the Little Colonel, "and it's so
poky and tiahsome, and I am so hot and I ache all ovah--"

Then Betty heard Mrs. Sherman go into the room, and th