when Mabel's
tears had promptly ceased--could it have been at the mention of
refreshments?--she added, considerately: "and let's all resolve not to
say a single word about poor Monty's mishap. He's more sensitive than
he seems and will be mortified enough, remembering how silly he
looked, without our reminding him of it."

"That's right, Dorothy. I'm glad you spoke of it. I'm sure nobody
would wish to hurt his feelings and it was--ridiculous, one way;"
added Helena, heartily, and Dorothy smiled gratefully upon her. She
well knew that the rich girl's opinion carried weight with these
poorer ones and of Alfaretta's teasing tongue she had been especially
afraid.

Nor was it long before they heard the boys come in, and from the merry
voices and even whistling of the irrepressible Danny, they knew that
the untoward incident had ended well. Yet when the lads had joined
them, as eager for refreshments as Mabel now proved, neither Jim, Mr.
Seth, nor Monty was with them; and, to the credit of all it was, that
the subject of the misadventure did not come up at all, although
inquisitive Alfy had fairly to bite her tongue to keep the questions
back.

They ended the evening by an hour in the music room, where gay college
songs and a few old-fashioned "rounds" sent them all to bed a
care-free, merry company; though Dorothy lingered long enough to write
a brief note to Mrs. Calvert and to drop it into the letter-box whence
it would find the earliest mail to town.

A satisfactory little epistle to its recipient, though it said only
this:

"Our House Party is a success! Dear Mr. Seth is the nicest boy of the
lot, and I know you're as glad as I am that he invited himself. I
thank you and I love you, love you, love you! Dolly."

Next morning, as beautiful a Sunday as ever dawned, came old Dinah to
Dorothy with a long face, and the lament:

"I cayn't fo' de life make dat li'l creatur' eat wid a fo'k an'
howcome I erlows he' to eat to de table alongside you-alls, lak yo'
tole me, Miss Do'thy? I'se done putten it into he' han', time an' time
ergin, an' she jes natchally flings hit undah foot an' grabs a spoon.
An' she stuffs an' stuffs, wussen you' fixin' er big tu'key. I'se
gwine gib up teachin' he' mannehs. I sutney is. She ain' no quality,
she ain'."

"But that's all right, Dinah. She's only a child, a little child it
seems to me. And whether she's 'quality' or not makes no difference.
I've talked it all over with Mr. Seth an