er unnecessarily, "it's a maroon silk." And she
sat down with her hands clasped, and stared at it in the intensity of
her wonder.

"Yes," said Dolly, "it is a maroon silk, and you are to wear it
to-night. It is Phil's birthday present to you,--and mine."

The spell was broken at once. The girl got up and made an impulsive
rush at her, and, flinging her bare white arms out, caught her in a
tempestuous embrace, maroon silk and all, laughing and crying both
together.

"Dolly," she said,--"Dolly, it is the grandest thing I ever had in my
life, and you are the best two--you and Phil--that ever lived!" And not
being as eloquent by nature as she was grateful and affectionate, she
poured out the rest of her thanks in kisses and interjections.

Then Dolly, extricating herself, proceeded to add the final touches
to the unfinished toilet, and in a very few minutes Miss Mollie stood
before the glass regarding herself in such ecstatic content as she had
perhaps never before experienced.

"Who is going to be here, Dolly?" she asked, after taking her first
survey.

"Who?" said Dolly. "Well, I scarcely know. Only one or two of Phil's
friends and Ralph Gowan."

Mollie gave a little start, and then blushed in the most pathetically
helpless way.

"Ah!" she said, and looked at her reflection in the glass again, as if
she did not exactly know what else to do.

A swift shadow of surprise showed itself in Dolly's eyes, and died out
almost at the same moment.

"Are you ready?" she said, briefly. "If you are, we will go
down-stairs."

There was a simultaneous cry of admiration from them all when the two
entered the parlor below, and Miss Mollie appeared attired in all her
glory.

"Here she is!" exclaimed 'Toinette and Aimee, together.

"Just the right shade," was Phil's immediate comment. "Catches the
lights and throws out her coloring so finely. Turn round, Mollie."

And Mollie turned round obediently, a trifle abashed by her own
gorgeousness, and looking all the lovelier for her momentary abasement.

Griffith was delighted. He went to her and kissed her, and praised her
with the enthusiastic frankness which characterized all his proceedings
with regard to the different members of the family of his betrothed. He
was as proud of the girl's beauty as if she were a sister of his own.

Then the object of their mutual admiration knelt down upon the
hearth-rug, before Tod, who, attired in ephemeral splendor, had stopped
in his