"I'll watch, too!" cried Arabella.

It was the custom at Glenmore to hold a little informal reception on an
evening of the third week after the school had opened.

Its purpose was to have pupils of all the classes present so that those
who never met in the recitation-rooms might become acquainted.

When the announcement appeared upon the bulletin board it caused a
flurry of excitement.

Dorothy and Nancy had already found new friends, and were eager to meet
others whose agreeable ways had interested them.

"It's such a pleasant place," Dorothy said one morning as she stood
brushing her hair, "and so many pleasant faces in the big class-room. I
saw at least a dozen I'd like to know, when we were having the morning
exercises, and there's ever so many more that we have yet to meet."

"And Tuesday evening is sure to be jolly. There'll be a crowd to talk
with, and one of the girls told me to-day that there's almost sure to be
some music, either vocal or instrumental, and she said that last year
they often had fine readers at the receptions," Nancy concluded.

They were on their way to the class-room, when Patricia and Arabella
joined them.

"Is the social to be a dressy affair?" Patricia asked, adding: "I hope
it is, because _I_ shall be dressy, whether any one else is or not."