"I feel more as though I were getting ready for a funeral than about to
give a dinner for the Eight Originals," sighed Grace Harlowe, as she
joined her mother on the shady front porch, a little white and gold work
bag, which Miss Southard had brought her from Paris, swinging from her
arm. "I can't realize that, within the next week, Nora and Jessica are
actually going to become Mrs. Hippy Wingate and Mrs. Reddy Brooks. It
seems ridiculous. Why it's only yesterday that Jessica's hair hung down
her back in two braids, and Nora wore curls and short dresses."

"I can't imagine Hippy in the role of a dignified bridegroom," smiled Mrs.
Harlowe. "He is far more likely to convulse the wedding party and upset
the whole solemn service than to conduct himself with strict propriety."

"He insists that he will cover himself with glory if Reddy doesn't look at
him, and Reddy insists that he will sit and stare him out of countenance.
David is to be Hippy's best man and Tom Gray Reddy's, while Jessica is to
be Nora's maid of honor and Nora Jessica's matron of honor. She's to be
married first, you know. Mabel, Anne, Miriam Nesbit, Eleanor Savelli and I
are to be the bridesmaids at both weddings," went on Grace. "We'll have a
reunion of all our friends. The Gibsons are at home, Judge Putnam and his
sister are coming down earlier from the Adirondacks; then there are
Eleanor and her father, Miss Nevin and the Southards. Every one who has
played an active part in our home lives will be on hand to see the girls
married."

"But how can Nora go away on a wedding journey and be Jessica's matron of
honor, too?" asked Mrs. Harlowe.