School, and the party promised to be one of the social events of Oakdale.

Mrs. Gray and a number of other prominent women of Oakdale, were to act as
patronesses. Mrs. Harlowe, usually a favorite chaperon with Grace's crowd,
had been ignored for the first time, and Grace was cut to the quick over
it. As for Grace herself, she had not been appointed to a single
committee. Prominent heretofore in every school enterprise, it was galling
to the high-spirited girl to be deliberately left out of the preparations.
Nora had been asked to help receive and Jessica had been appointed to the
refreshment committee, but on finding that Grace was being snubbed, both
had coldly declined to serve in either capacity.

The four chums held more than one anxious discussion as to the
advisability of even attending the ball.

"I think we ought to go, just to show those girls that we are impervious
to their petty insults," declared Grace. "We have as much right there as
any one else, and I am sure the boys we know will dance with us whether
the rest of the girls like it or not. Besides, Mrs. Gray will be there,
and she will expect to see us. She doesn't know anything about this
trouble, and I don't want her to know. It would only grieve her. She is so
fond of Anne. By all means we must go to the ball. Wear your prettiest
gowns and act as though nothing had happened."

That night, the four young girls, in their party finery, sat waiting in
the Harlowe's drawing room for their escorts--David, Hippy and Reddy. Anne
wore the pink crepe de chine which had done duty at Mrs. Gray's house
party the previous winter. Grace wore an exquisite gown of pale blue silk
made in a simple, girlish fashion that set her off to perfection. Nora was
gowned in lavender and wore a corsage bouquet of violets that had