But at recess the four gathered in a corner of the school-yard, and Lena expounded. “It’s a Hallowe’en party,” she said, and then had to wait for their delighted exclamations to pause before she could proceed. “Hallowe’en is a week from Friday,” she went on, “and Mother said last night that I could have a party if I liked. So Bob and I talked it over, and we decided that a ghost party would be fun.” “What is a ghost party?” “How do you mean?” “Oh, just a phantom party!” exclaimed the three listeners all at once. “Well, I haven’t planned it much,” said Lena, “because I thought it would be more fun for us to plan it together.” “What a duck you are!” cried Betty. “I love to plan parties! Can we wear fancy costumes?” “Oh, let’s be witches,” said Dorothy. “We ought to on Hallowe’en, you know.” “Witches or ghosts, either, would be all right,” put in Jeanette. “I suppose you’ll have all the old Hallowe’en tricks, Lena?” “Well, Bob and I said we didn’t want to have those foolish old games, like bobbing for apples and melting lead. They’re so tiresome. But I thought we could make up some new fun.” “I think so, too,” declared Betty. “Anything ghosty or witchy, or any sort of fortune-telling, you mean, I suppose.” “Yes. Do you know any new tricks of that sort?” “I’m not sure that I do, but we can make some up.” They all knew Betty’s cleverness in making up games, so they felt sure something could be done. “There’s the school-bell,” said Lena. “You all come to my house this afternoon, and we’ll plan it all out.” The girls agreed to this, and then they returned to the school-room, where, I am sorry to say, their rebellious pencils persisted in drawing witches or broomsticks, instead of copying the plaster cast of a classic leaf form which was their task for the day. Not only that afternoon but several others were spent in arranging the details of the Hallowe’en party. Jeanette, who was inclined to the serious rather than the grotesque, favored the idea of the guests appearing as Druids, who, she said, were really the originators of Allhallowe’en. But Dorothy declared that Druids were poky old things and that witches were lots more fun. So, as Betty and Lena insisted on ghosts, the invitations were finally compiled to read like this: DRUIDS, WITCHES, AND GHOSTS ARE INVITED TO ASSEMBLE AT THE HOME OF MISS LENA CAREY AND MR. ROBERT CAREY ON ALL HALLOWE’EN OCTOBER THIRTY-FIRST AT EIGHT O’CLOCK This gave the guests ample choice of costume, and if they chose they could come simply draped in sheets and pillow-cases, as at the old-time phantom parties. Betty, after much deliberation, decided to wear a witch’s costume.