Missy turned her eyes to father.

"Don't look at me with those big saucers!" he smiled. "Mother's the
judge."

So Missy turned her eyes back again. "Mother, PLEASE-"

But mother shook her head. "You're too young to begin such things,
Missy. I don't know what this town's coming to--mere babies running
round at night, playing cards and dancing!"

"But, mother--"

"Don't start teasing, Missy. It won't do any good."

So Missy didn't start teasing, but her soul remained choking in her
throat. It made it difficult for her to swallow, and nothing tasted
good, though they had lamb chops, which she adored.

"Eat your meat, Missy," adjured mother. Missy tried to obey and felt
that she was swallowing lumps of lead.

But in the afternoon everything miraculously changed. Kitty Allen and
her mother came to call. Kitty was her chum, and lived in the next
block, up the hill. Kitty was beautiful, with long curls which showed
golden glints in the sun. She had a whim that she and Missy, sometimes,
should have dresses made exactly alike-for instance, this summer, their
best dresses of pink dotted mull. Missy tried to enjoy the whim with
Kitty, but she couldn't help feeling sad at seeing how much prettier
Kitty could look in the same dress. If only she had gold-threaded curls!

During the call the party at the Bonners' was mentioned. Mrs. Allen was
going to "assist" Mrs. Bonner. She suggested that Missy might accompany
Kitty and herself.

"I hadn't thought of letting Missy go," said Mrs. Merriam. "She seems so
young to start going out evenings that way."

"I know just how you feel," replied Mrs. Allen. "I feel just the same
way. But as long as I've got to assist, I'm willing Kitty should go this
time; and I thought you mightn't object to Missy's going along with us."

"Oh, mother!" Missy's tone was a prayer.

And her mother, smiling toward her a charming, tolerant smile as if
to say: "Well, what can one do in the face of those eyes?" finally
assented.

After that the afternoon went rushing by on wings of joy. When the
visitors departed Missy had many duties to perform, but they were not
dull, ordinary duties; they were all tinted over with rainbow colours.
She stemmed strawberries in the kitchen where Marguerite, the hired
girl, was putting up fruit, and she loved the pinkish-red and grey-green
of the berries against the deep yellow of the bowl. She loved, too, the
colour of the geraniums against the green-painted sill just