As they were not expected home until five anyway there was no cause for concern. There would be no alarm at Leslie Manor. Meanwhile Jefferson, who had looked after the horses, was holding the floor in the servant's quarters. If a report of that afternoon's experiences did reach Leslie Manor he meant to have first scoop. After an hour spent very delightfully, for Mr. Ford was attention itself to Beverly, to Archie's ill-concealed disgust, Hope MacLeod advised a move toward home. As they were about to start Beverly asked sweetly: "Oh, dear Mrs. Kilton, would you mind if Athol showed me his room? You know we have never before in all our lives been separated and I get so homesick for him and his traps it just seems as though I couldn't stand it." "Why of course you may go up, my dear," smiled kindly Mrs. Kilton. She was too wholesome to see the least impropriety in so simple a request. "Oh, hold on a second, Ath. Keep her a minute until I rush up and stow a few of our duds. We didn't stop to slick things up when we shifted," and Archie bounded away. "Come on now, Bev. I reckon he's had time to make Number 70 presentable," said Athol three minutes later, and the brother and sister went demurely from the room. CHAPTER IX WHILE GOBLINS DANCED Although in little sympathy with frivolous forms of entertainment, Miss Woodhull did condescend to a Hallowe'en Masquerade each year, and two nights after Beverly's John Gilpin performance the girls were preparing for the dance in the big gymnasium. A collection had been taken up among the sixty girls constituting the academic grades and a couple of musicians engaged for the occasion. They came from an adjacent town where they formed part of a colored orchestra of more than local fame, which was in great demand for miles around. Consequently, the girls would have good music for their frolic and as Mrs. Bonnell looked to the refreshments, everything was satisfactory excepting Miss Woodhull's veto upon "the absurd practices of Hallowe'en:" meaning the love tests of fate and fortune usually made that night. Those were debarred, though many a one was indulged in in secret of which that practical lady little kenned. As a hostess and chaperone were deemed absolutely indispensable upon any occasion, however informal, Mrs. Bonnell was always eagerly sought after by the girls to act in the former capacity and Miss Dalton the gym instructor in the latter. Miss Dalton seemed just like a girl herself, and was, in fact, not many years her pupils' senior. She was in her twenty-fourth year, but looked about nineteen, a jolly, chummy, lovable woman, though no instructor maintained better discipline, or was more willingly obeyed. She and Mrs. Bonnell worked in perfect harmony when their duties brought them together.