adoring
satellites.

"There," she said, tying the last bow with care. "That's ready. I'm just
going to draw the water for Annabel's bath, Sue; she'll be up in a
second. Suppose you pick up the room a bit. Looks like a cyclone had
struck it. Annabel can't dress in such a muss."

Annabel herself came in at that moment, her cheeks pink with excitement,
her face radiant with pleasure.

"My, but I'm late! Do you think I can dress in six minutes? It lacks
just that much of twelve o'clock and some of the boys have arrived
already. I saw Mr. Billings pacing the floor in the living-room, Sue.
Why don't you go down if you're ready? Blue Bonnet will help me."

It was the day of the Senior dance. A gala day at Miss North's. Sue and
Blue Bonnet had both been invited to the dance--an almost unheard of
privilege. Sue had been thus favored because her brother Billy was to be
Annabel's guest, and Blue Bonnet, because Annabel had begged Miss North,
almost on her hands and knees to grant her this one last request.

It was a long established custom for the young men to arrive at noon,
pay their respects to teachers and the girls who had invited them and
remain on for a concert, tea, or whatever had been planned for their
entertainment. At five o'clock they left to dress for the dinner which
preceded the dance.

Annabel lost no time with her toilet. In ten minutes she was dressed,
with Blue Bonnet's help, and as sweet a vision as youth, good health and
beauty could produce.

Blue Bonnet stood before her enraptured.

"Your gown is perfect, Annabel," she said, giving an extra pat here and
there, or trying to, between Annabel's quick movements. "I doubt if
you'll look a speck prettier to-night in your white lace. Pink certainly
is your color. You had it on the first time I saw you. I remember
writing Uncle Cliff about you."

They started for the living-room. Along the halls girls waited in
groups to catch a glimpse of their favorites. Heads craned from doors
and exclamations of approval passed from lip to lip:

"Oh, aren't they lovely! The two prettiest girls in school! What a love
of a gown Annabel's got! Isn't Blue Bonnet a dream?"

At the top of the stairs wedged in, obstructing the passage, sat Carita
and Mary. They fell upon Annabel and Blue Bonnet regardless of their
finery.

"A kiss! A kiss!" they cried. "You've got to pay toll!" A forfeit
willingly given.

"I can hardly wait until five o'clock," Mary said. "I'm dying