afraid. I'm all undecided in my mind whether to tell you about this
place we're going to, or not to tell you about it. I want to do what
is easiest for you. Now, you think! It probably won't be a very large
assembly. These dear people, who have many friends, are at home on
Friday evenings. Sometimes a large number call, sometimes only a few.
And in New York, you know, people are not 'introduced round'; you just
meet such of your fellow guests as happen to 'come your way,' so to
speak. That is, if there are many. We'll go down and call this
evening--take our chance of few or many, and try out our Secret. And
I'll do just as you think you'd like best; I'll tell you about the
people we're going to see and try to guess as well as I can who else
may be there. Or I won't tell you anything at all--just leave you to
remember that 'folks is folks,' and to find out the rest for yourself.
You needn't decide now. Take all day to think about it, if you like."

"Oh, dear!" cried Mary Alice, "I'm all in a flutter. I don't believe
I'll ever be able to decide, but I'll think hard all day. And now tell
me what I am to wear."

She went to her room and got her dark blue taffeta and showed the
progress of yesterday with the new dark net sleeves to replace the ugly
ruffly white lace ones.

"That's going to be fine!" approved Godmother. "Now, this morning I am
going to help you make the new yoke and collar; and then"--she squinted
up her eyes and began looking as if she were studying a picture the way
so many picture-lovers like to do, through only a narrow slit of vision
which sharpens perspective and intensifies detail--"I think we'll go
shopping. Yesterday, when I was hurrying past and hadn't time to stop
for longer than a peek, I saw in a Broadway shop-window some short