tin of the term's entertainments in
the hall this evening."

"_We_'ll never be seen at those things," insisted Kitty.

"We'll scarcely be a drop in the bucket. But to-morrow night, isn't the
whole affair for us? We'll be the whole show. We'll be _it_, Allison,
and 'it's my night to howl.' I intend to wear my rose-pink mull and a
rosebud in my raving tresses, and carry the gorgeous spangled fan that
the dear old admiral gave me in Manila. So there!"

"Then don't come near me," said Allison, with a warning shake of her
head, "for I am going to wear my cerise crepe de chine. It's lovely by
itself, but by the side of anything the shade of your pink mull it's the
most hideous, sickly colour you ever saw. I _wish_ you'd wear that pale
green dress, Kitty. You look sweet in that, and it goes so well with
mine."

"But, my dear sister," laughed Kitty, "I don't expect to spend any time
getting acquainted with _you_. I'll probably not be near you the whole
evening. It's not expected that, just because we are from Kentucky, we
have to pose as those two devoted creatures on the State seal,--stand
around with our hands clasped, exclaiming 'United we stand, divided we
fall!' to every one that comes up."

"Nevah mind, Allison," said Lloyd, laughing at Kitty's dramatic gestures
and her sister's worried expression. "I'll play 'State seal' with you. I
have a pale green almost the shade of Kitty's, and I'll wear the coral
clasps and chains that were Papa Jack's mothah's. He gave them to me
just before I left home. I'll show them to you."

She began to rummage through her trunk. Betty sat looking at the
ceiling, trying to decide the momentous question of dress for herself.
Finally she announced: "I'll just wear white, then I'll harmonize with
everybody, and can run up to the first one of you I happen to see when I
need a spark of courage. I know I'll be terribly embarrassed. It makes
me cold right now to think of meeting so many strangers."

But Betty's courage needed no reinforcing next evening, when Maria
Overlin, one of the seniors, took her in charge. The reception took
place in what had been the ballroom, in the days when Warwick Hall was
noted for its brilliant entertainments. Even its first hostess could not
have received her distinguished guests with courtlier grace than Madam
Chartley received her pupils, when, to the music of a stately minuet,
they filed past her down the long line of teachers.

For once, each of the new g