"How many do you think will be on hand?" asked the other, settling down
alongside the driver.

"Well, ten couple have solemnly promised to attend, barring some
accident; and I reckon there may be several more show up, because we've
done lots of talking about the jolly time we expected to have. I only
hope that Nick Lang and his crowd will have the decency to stay away.
If they show up there's bound to be trouble brewing."

"I'm afraid so," acceded Hugh, seriously, "for Nick is never so happy
as when he's making other folks miserable. But the farmer has a stout
hired man, who will be on deck to keep an eye on our cars, and other
conveyances; so there'll hardly be any tricks attempted with the lines,
taking wheels off buggies, and all such practical jokes, such as those
fellows dearly love to play."

"I heard Owen Dugdale was coming," Thad went on to say, as they started
off, "which is something unusual for him, because up to now we've never
seen him at a hop."

"Now how did you learn that?" laughed Hugh.

"Oh! a little bird told me," replied the other. "Fact is, Hugh, pretty
Peggy Noland told my sister Grace Owen had asked her to be his company
to this hop, and she had accepted, because somehow she always liked
Owen."

"Whew! I wonder now how Nick Lang will feel about that?" ventured
Hugh. "You know Peggy used to have him for her company a number of
times. But I remember how annoyed she looked at the class spread when