hair, or is my nose red, or is it my skirt that's too
tight? Please tell me and get it over with. I can stand anything but
this suspense."

"A miracle has taken place--the impossible has happened!" cried Betty,
striking a theatrical pose. "Never again will I doubt the wisdom of
those so learned----"

"What is she raving about, girls, do you know?" asked Grace plaintively.
"She never used to be like this."

"It's the shock, that's all," interpreted Mollie. "Never mind, Betty,"
she added soothingly. "You will get used to it in time."

"Amy, you're the only sane one in that crowd," cried Grace in
desperation. "Will you kindly explain what those two lunatics are
talking about--if they know themselves!" This last was uttered so
vindictively that the girls came down from rhetorical heights with a
bounce.

"Oh," laughed Betty, running up to Grace and giving her a hug. "You must
really forgive us, Grace dear, we just couldn't help it--you reformed so
suddenly, you know."

"Reformed?" said Grace, still mystified, while she made room for the
other girls in the hammock. "What do you mean--'reformed'? I didn't know
I needed to."

"Listen to the child," mocked Mollie. "Why, don't you know, Grace, that
there isn't one of us that doesn't need a lot of reforming?"

"Speak for yourself, Mollie Billette," remarked Grace, a trifle shortly,
for her natural good temper was becoming ruffled under the continued
teasing.

"Now, please, girls," said Betty, fearing a storm, "don't let's
quarrel, whatever we do. We were only surprised to see you up so early,
Grace, that's all. But now I'm mighty glad you are, because we'll have a
chance for a nice long talk. What time do you suppose it is now?"

"It was nearly ten when I came out of the house," Grace replied,
placated by the Little Captain's tactful changing of the subject. "Can't
you all stay to lunch? Then we can make a good long day of it."

The girls took a walk about town before lunch, just to "be sure of an
appetite," as Amy said. During the tramp they met Roy Anderson, an old
boy friend.

"Are you doing anything particular this afternoon?" he wanted to know,
and upon the girls replying in the negative, asked if he might bring
some of the other boys around. "We have made a discovery!" he shouted
after them. "We'll tell you about it when we see you."

And so, the noon meal over, the girls strolled out on the lawn again and
waited eagerly for what the boys might have to tell