."

Without waiting to hear what comments they might have to make about this
plan, she flew around the corner Tony had indicated a moment before, and
in through the great iron gates, standing slightly ajar. Following the
wide walks leading from the front yard to the back, she came to another
lower gate, where Ethel and Lottie met her; and in a jiffy the white
apron was exchanged for the long, blue pinafore of the black-eyed child.

"You'll have to give her your hair-ribbon, too," said Ethel, surveying
the two figures critically. "We don't wear ribbons here on common days,
and that would give away that you weren't really Lottie."

Peace gleefully jerked off her rampant pink bow, and the older girl
deftly tied it among the raven locks of the other orphan.

Tony and George now came slowly around the corner of the building, to
discover whether the visitor had really kept her promise, and were
themselves puzzled to know which was their mate and which the stranger
child until Peace laughed. "That's where you are different," said
George, critically. "You don't sound a bit alike. Come on and see who
will be first to find out the secret."

So the masqueraders were led laughingly away to meet the other children,
still boisterously playing at games under the trees. It did not take the
fifty pair of sharp eyes as long to discover the difference as the five
plotters had hoped, but they were all just as charmed with the result,
and gave Peace a royal time. She was a natural leader and her lively
imagination delighted her new playmates. But Lottie, in her borrowed
finery, received scant attention, and being, unfortunately, rather a
spoiled child, she resented the fact that Peace had usurped her place.
So she retired to the fence and pouted. At first no one noticed her
sullen looks, but finally Ethel missed her, and finding her standing
cross and glum in the corner, she tried to draw her into the lively
game of last couple out, which the stranger had organized.

"I won't play at all," declared the jealous girl. "No one cares whether
I'm here or not, and 's long as you'd rather have _her_, you can just
have her!"

"But we wouldn't rather," fibbed the older girl. "She's our comp'ny and
we have to be nice to her."

"'Cause you like her better'n you do me," insisted the other.

"No such thing! Come on and see!"

"I won't, either!"

"What's the matter?" asked Peace, hearing the excited voices and
stepping out of line to learn t