ck and you said you'd be down by half-past seven. We've been waiting
for half an hour."

"All right; we'll be down right away, Phil," said Lucile, jumping out of
bed and beginning to dress hastily. "I had no idea it was so late."

"You know you won't have time for a walk before breakfast, even if you
are down in half an hour--which I doubt," said Phil, pessimistically.
"Jack and I are going for our walk, anyway."

"Run along," sang Jessie, cheerfully, "and don't hurry back."

"You just wait till I get you, Jet," he threatened--Jet being a recent
nickname to which he had clung despite Jessie's vehement protestations
that the name would fit a Southern mammy a good deal better than it did
her, for the simple reason that a darky was jet, but she wasn't nor ever
would be.

"All right; only see that you pay enough," she assented. "I'm
mercenary."

"I have always suspected something in your life, woman," he hissed
through the keyhole. "Farewell!" And they heard his retreating footsteps
on the stairs.

The girls laughed merrily, just as Evelyn, fully dressed, emerged from
the next room--they always drew lots to see who slept together--looking
very sweet and dainty in her spotless white.

"Hurry up, you old slow-pokes," she greeted them, gaily. "I've been up
for ever so long. It's a wonderful day."

"Oh, Evelyn, dear, you look darling in that dress! I've never seen it
before!" cried Lucile, enthusiastically. "Turn around in the back. Isn't
it cute, Jessie? Goodness! You make me ashamed of myself!" And she began
dressing with renewed vigor.

"Will you get dressed for me, too, Evelyn?" begged Jessie. "With so much
energy flying around loose, I ought to catch some of it, but I don't. Oh,
for another hour's sleep!"

"You don't have to get up," said Evelyn, sitting down on the edge of the
bed. "You can sleep till noon if you want to, while Lucy and I have a
look at the Capitol and dine at some nice little cafe----"

"Say not another word," commanded Jessie, bouncing out of bed and winding
her long braids about her head. "I'd like to see anybody leave me behind.
Lucy, do get out of my way--I have to have the mirror some of the time!"

Lucile laughed. "All right; I'll fix my hair in Evelyn's room, now she's
through, and let you have the whole place to yourself," she said, and
gathering up hairpins and ribbons, she ran into the other room to finish
up.

"What are you going to wear this morning, Lucy?" asked Evelyn, from