"Oh, well," explained Tess, rather grandly, "at a swell function you
don't have to have many substantial viands, you know."

"Oh, I nearly forgot--this is to be a swell function."

"Yes, the real thing," said Tess proudly. "Potted palms and hand-
painted place-cards and orchestra music and candle shades and
everything!"

"Candle shades?--won't it be daylight at six o'clock?"

"Well, then, we'll pull down the window shades," said Tess,
undisturbed. "Candle-light '11 add--"

Aunt Nettie, who couldn't keep still any longer, cut in:

"Will you tell me where you're going to get an orchestra?"

"Oh," said Tess, with an air of patience, "we're going to fix the
date on a band-practice night. I guess they'd be willing to practice
on your porch if we gave them some ice-cream and cake."

"My word!" gasped Aunt Nettie.

"Music always adds so much e'clat to an affair," pursued Tess,
unruffled.

"The band practicing '11 add a-clatter, all right," commented Aunt
Nettie, adding a syllable to Tess's triumphant word.