ss. Dorothy's cousin,
Russell Dalton, made a charming page, while his sister, Aline, was a
flower girl. Reginald strutted about in an early Spanish costume, and he
had chosen his own dress.

"I can't look old enough for Ponce de Leon," he had said, "but I want a
suit like the one he wears in the painting that hangs in the hall."

His wish had been granted, and he looked like a tiny cavalier about to
sally forth in search of fortune, or undiscovered countries.

Mollie Merton made a pretty Red-riding-hood, while, as usual, close
beside her, stood Flossie Barnet as Little Bo-Peep.

"Anybody'd know I'm Bo-peep, because I've this crook in my hand," said
Flossie, "but look at Nina and Jeanette; what are they?"

"We're Spring and Summer," Jeanette answered with a laugh at Flossie's
little puzzled face, "I am a rose, and she's a crocus," she continued,
"and have you seen Katie Dean yet? She's a lovely butterfly. There she
is now."

They all turned to look at Katie as she came toward them. She was indeed
a dainty butterfly. Her frock of yellow gauze matched her wings, which
were edged with gold, and as she ran toward them, she looked as if she
might fly if she wished.

Arabella looked very demure as a little Puritan, and really, Patricia's
showy Spanish costume was becoming. There were many more guests, and
all were in beautiful costumes. The room was alive with color, and when,
later, they danced to merry music, it seemed, indeed, a joyous carnival.

The games came next, and how they played! And of all the games they
found one very old one to be the most delightful. Some one asked if they
might play it, and thus it happened that the king announced that the
next would be "A Journey to Nubia."

The maids entered, and quickly placed two rows of chairs, back to back,
down the centre of the room, placing _one less_ chair than there were
children.

When the music sounded they were to march around and around the rows of
chairs, but when the music should stop abruptly, they must rush to get
a seat. The one child who would be left standing must pay a forfeit.

A stirring march was played, and the children walked around the chairs,
and every time that they came to the end of the line they paused,
believing that the music would cease, but the musicians played on and
on. The laughing children marched gaily, when, in the middle of a lively
strain, the music stopped, and they rushed for seats.

It was Nancy who found no chair,