Grace shook her head. It had sounded like a very fine thing when her
father had spoken it, so she had repeated it with great pride.

"We can ask Miss Rosalie," she suggested.

Mammy Esther left the girls at the gate of Miss Patten's garden. As they
went up the path Flora Hayes came to meet them.

"I was waiting for you," she said. "I want to ask you both to come out
to our plantation next Saturday and spend Sunday. My mother is going to
write and ask your mothers if they will give me the pleasure of your
company."

"I am sure I can come," declared Grace, "and I think it's lovely of you
to ask me."

"You'll come, won't you, Sylvia?" said Flora, putting her arm over the
little girl's shoulders as they went up the steps.

"Yes, indeed; thank you very much for asking me," replied Sylvia. She
had visited the Hayes plantation early in the summer, and thought it a
more wonderful place even than the big mansion on Tradd Street where the
Hayes family lived in the winter months. Mr. Hayes owned hundreds of
negroes, and raised a great quantity of cotton. The house at the
plantation was large, with many balconies, and cool, pleasant rooms.
Flora had a pair of white ponies, and there were pigeons, and a number
of dogs. Sylvia was sure that it would be a beautiful visit, especially
as Grace would be there.