erhaps Alice only did it
impulsively--and did not really mean it."

If the reputed author of the anonymous letter, and her close friend,
hoped for any demonstration on the part of those they had hoped to wound,
they were disappointed.

In calm unconsciousness of the twain, the quartette passed on,
talking gaily--though it was a bit forced--of their coming trip. And
I must do Alice the justice to say that later she was truly sorry for
what she had done.

"There's Will!" exclaimed Grace, as she caught sight of her brother. "And
Frank Haley is with him. Here, girls, take what's left of these
chocolates, or Will won't leave one."

"Does he know you have them?" asked Amy, accepting a few.

"Yes, he saw me buying them. Oh, bother! There comes that Percy
Falconer, and he has a new suit. Vanity of vanities!"

The course of Will and his chum, as well as that of the "faultless
dresser," as he hoped he appeared, brought them toward the girls. There
was no escape, and the little throng walked onward. Betty kept close to
Amy, for she knew just how she must feel after the disclosure.

"Ah, good afternoon, ladies!" greeted Percy. "Wonderful weather we're
having. My word!"

"Beastly beautiful!" mocked the irrepressible Mollie. "Horribly lovely,
isn't it, what?"

"Oh, I say now," began Percy. "I--really--"

"Where'd you get the clothes?" broke in Will.

"They're a London importation."

"London importation, my eye!" exclaimed Frank. "Why, Cohen's Emporium, on
Main street, has the same thing in the window marked thirteen
ninety-eight--regular fourteen dollars."

"Oh, I say now! Quit your spoofing!"

"Give us some candy, Sis!" begged Will. "Come on, now, I know
you've got it!"

"I had it, we have it--they had it--thou hast it--not!" quoted Grace,
with a laugh. "Nothing doing this time, little brother of mine."

"And you ate all those chocolates?" This in semi-horrified tones.

"We--not I," corrected his sister.

Percy Falconer, after vainly trying to get in place to walk beside Betty,
who frustrated him by keeping Amy close to her, drifted off to find new
sartorial worlds to conquer.

The others walked on, the boys joining in the talk and laughter. Amy
seemed to have recovered her spirits, and the girls made no reference to
the little tragedy which they knew would soon become public property.

"So you are really determined to go off on that walking trip?" asked
Will, who had floated back to join Mollie.

"We cer