Until Dotty saw this, she had been happy; but the thought of standing up
with a boy who held such a beautiful toy, while her own little hands
would be empty--this was too much.

"Johnny Eastman," said she, with a trembling voice, "how do you think it
will look to be holding flowers up to your nose when the minister's
a-praying? I'd be so 'shamed, so 'shamed, Johnny Eastman!"

"You want the bouquet-holder yourself, you know you do," said Johnny;
"you want everything you see; and if folks don't give right up to you,
then there's a fuss."

"O, Johnny Eastman, I'm a girl, and that's the only reason why I want the
bouquet-holder! If I was a boy, do you s'pose I'd touch such a thing? But
I can't wear flowers in the button-holes of my coat--now can I?"

The children were in the guest chamber, preparing to go down--all but
Prudy, who was in her mother's room, assisting at the bridal toilet. Susy
and Flossy stood before the mirror, and Johnny and Dotty in the middle of
the room, confronting each other with angry brows.

[Illustration: DOTTY WANTS THE BOUQUET-HOLDER.]

"Hush, children!" said Susy, in an absentminded way, and went on
brushing her hair, which was one of the greatest trials in the whole
world, because it would not curl. She had frizzed it with curling-tongs,
rolled it on papers, and drenched it with soap suds till there was
danger of its fading entirely away; still it was as straight, after all,
as an Indian's.