"You go down, Polly," said her mother. "I am all covered with
basting-threads."

So Polly, in all the glory of her new gown, went running down the
stairs to the door, and started back in astonishment as her six
guests came solemnly marching into the house, dressed in their
best, to do honor to the occasion.

"Why, what are you doing here?" she was beginning rather
inhospitably, when her mother unexpectedly came to her relief and
invited the girls to take off their things.

"We're a party, Polly," exclaimed Jessie. "How stupid you are not
to see it!"

"It's Hallowe'en," added Florence; "and we've been asked to come
to celebrate it."

"Oh-h-h!" And a new light dawned on Polly. "It's a surprise party,
is it? Who started it? You, Jerusalem?"

"Why don't you take your little friends into the parlor and
converse with them, Polly?" asked Aunt Jane's prim voice. "Don't
you know that it isn't polite to leave them standing here?"

A sharp reply was trembling on the tip of Polly's tongue; but she
caught her mother's warning glance, so she resolutely turned her
back on the blue satin bow which Aunt Jane had donned for the
party, and led the way into the parlor.