"You help me choose, mother," she
said presently. "I don't know just how big the piece ought to be."

Her mother drew up her chair and began to look over the bits of gay silk
before her. "I declare," she said presently, "here is a piece of a party
frock I wore when I was about Celia's age. It was almost my first real
new party frock, for before that I always wore a simple white muslin.
This is perfectly new, and must have been left over. To think of its
being in this bag all those years. It appears to be sufficiently strong,
however." She shook it out and held it up to the light. The material was
a pale green silk with tiny bunches of flowers upon it. Edna thought it
very pretty.

"I think Celia will be perfectly delighted to have a bag made of your
first party frock, mother," she said. "Do you think grandma would mind
my having it?"

"I am sure she will be very much pleased. We will decide upon that, and
you can put back the rest of the pieces. There will be an abundance in
this for a nice, full bag I am sure. I will cut it out for you and show
you just how to make it."

The time passed so rapidly in planning and making the bag that it was
the dinner hour before they knew it, and after dinner came an unexpected
call from Alcinda. She was a sedate-looking little girl with big blue
eyes and straight, mouse-colored hair, but upon this occasion she was
dimpling and smiling as she handed a tiny, three-cornered note to Edna.
Upon opening this Edna discovered, written in a childish hand, the
following words, "Mr. Jetty Hewlett requests the honor of Miss Edna
Conway's company to a tea-party at four o'clock this afternoon."

"Oh, dear," sighed Edna, "I'm awfully afraid I can't go, for grandma
said it was as much as my life was worth to go out of the house
to-day."

"Oh, but you aren't ill, are you?" asked Alcinda.

"No, but she is afraid I will be."

"But you must come," persisted Alcinda, "for it is in honor of you and
Reliance, and Jetty is going to help receive."

"I will go ask mother," returned Edna, and running off she returned with
Mrs. Conway.

"Mayn't Edna come to Jetty's tea-party?" begged Alcinda. "We have
everything planned, and it will be perfectly dreadful if she stays away.
She won't take cold, just going across the street, and our house is as
warm as anything."

Edna looked beseechingly at her mother. "Do please say yes, mother," she
begged.

"I don't see how you could take cold going just across