a herself assisted, for she thought it better not to have
her maid about.

"I'm well, thank you," said Anna, in response to Mona's inquiry, and
then she broke out, impulsively: "Oh, I'm so happy to be here! It was
so heavenly kind of you young ladies to ask me. You don't _know_ what
it means to me!"

"Why, I'm very glad," said Mona, touched at the girl's gratitude.
"Now, I hope you'll just have the time of your life!"

"Oh, I shall, indeed! I know it. I'm enjoying every minute, just being
in these lovely rooms, and seeing you kind ladies."

Then Mona's manicure girl came. Her name was Celeste Arleson, and she
was a tall, slender young woman, garbed all in black. It was the gown
she always wore at her work, and, being of French descent, she had an
air of charm that made her attractive.

"Good-morning, Celeste; come right in," said Mona, and then she
introduced her to Anna.

The two looked at each other a little shyly, and then Anna said,
"Good-morning," in a timid way.

Mona felt embarrassed, too, and began to wonder if their party would
be a failure, after all.

But Patty came in then and, with her ever-ready tact, took the two
visitors to the drawing-room, and began to show them some pictures and
curios.

Then Jenny Bisbee came, the girl from the ribbon counter, whom
Clementine had invited.

"My, isn't this fine!" she exclaimed, as she met the others. "I just
do think it's fine!"

"I'm glad we could arrange for you to come," said Clementine,
cordially.

"Glad! My gracious, I guess I'm glad! Well! if you measured ribbon
from morning till night, I guess you'd be glad to get away from it for
once. Why, I measure ribbon in my dreams, from night till morning. I
can't seem to get away from that everlasting stretching out of
thirty-six inches, over and over again."

"But the ribbons are so pretty," said Clementine, by way of being
agreeable.

"Yes; when they first come in. But after a few weeks you get so tired
of the patterns. My, I feel as if I could throw that Dresden sash
ribbon on the floor and stamp on it, I'm so tired of seeing it! And
there's one piece of gay brocade that hits me in the eye every
morning. I can't stand that piece much longer."

"I'll come round some day, and buy it," said Patty, laughing
good-naturedly. "I didn't know the ribbons were so individual to you."

"Yes, they are. There's one piece of light blue satin ribbon, plain
and wide, that I just love. It's a real comfort to me.