him that he must get up early in the mornin' if he wants to keep track
of us."

If Dirk Colson needed anything to strengthen his resolution, there was
material in that last sentence which supplied it. He had long chafed
under the control of Dick Bolton; here was a chance to assert
superiority. He even, just at that moment, conceived the brilliant idea
of supplanting Dick--running an opposition party, as it were.

What if he should get every fellow in the class to promise to go, and
Dick, the acknowledged leader, should find himself left out alone in the
cold. The thought actually made his grim face break into a smile. Thus
it came to pass that the most efficient worker for the success of the
Monday evening entertainment, so far at least as securing the presence
of the guests, was Dirk Colson.

In Mr. Roberts' mansion preparations for receiving and entertaining the
hoped-for guests went briskly forward. Preparations which astonished
the young guest already arrived.

"Are you really going to let them come in here?" she asked, as she
followed Mrs. Roberts through the elegant parlors, and watched her
putting delicate touches here and there.

"Certainly; why not? Don't you open your parlors when you receive your
friends?"

"I don't think we have such peculiar friends on our list," Gracie said,
with a little laugh; and then, "Flossy, they will spoil your furniture."