ss the top of the scroll swung a gay little row of Japanese lanterns
done in delicate water colors, and in characters strangely Japanese was
inscribed the following invitation:

"Greetings from
Otoyo Sen:
Your honorable
presence is
requested on
Saturday evening
at the insignificant fete
in the unworthily
apartment of
Otoyo Sen.
Otoyo muchly
flattered by
joyful acceptance."

Fortunately, the little Japanese girl, overcome by shyness after this
rash venture, had not appeared at breakfast and was spared the mirthful
expressions on the faces of the girls around the table.

"Well, of all the funny children," laughed Molly. "Nance, let's offer
her our room. She can't get the crowd into her little place."

"Of course," said Nance, agreeable to anything her roommate might
suggest.

Not a single girl declined the quaint invitation and formal acceptances
were sent that very day.

Otoyo was so excited and happy over these missives that she seemed to be
in a state of semi-exaltation for the better part of a week. She rushed
to the village and sent off a telegram and before Saturday morning
received at least a dozen mysterious boxes by express. They were piled
one on top of the other in her room like an Oriental pyramid and no one
was permitted to see their contents.

All offers of assistance were refused the day of the party. Otoyo wished
to carry out her ideas in her own peculiar way and needed only a
step-ladder. If it was not asking too much, would the beautiful and kind
friends not enter their room until that evening? Removing all things
needful in the way of books and clothes to Judy's room, the beautiful
and kind friends good-naturedly absented themselves from their apartment
from ten in the morning to seven-thirty that evening. Molly spent the
afternoon in the library studying, and Nance called on Mrs. McLean and
drank a cup of tea and ate a buttered scone, while she cast an
occasional covert glance in the direction of Andy junior's photograph
on the mantel.

It was well before eight o'clock when the inquisitive guests assembled,
and there were at least twenty of them; for Otoyo's acquaintance was
large and numbered girls from all four classes. They met downstairs in a
body and then marched up to the third story together.

"Let's give her a serenade before we knock," suggested Judy, and they
sang: "The sweetest girl in Wellington is O-to-yo."