“Let me see; I can’t think of things in a minute, you know. But here’s one thing; next Friday is the first of April—you might play an April Fool Joke.” “Oh, yes,” cried Betty, gleefully, “that’s just the thing! Anything is allowable on April Fool’s Day. Now, what shall it be?” “Betty, if you want a really fine affair, we must give some thought to it. Neither do we want any simple joke that we’d make up ourselves. But let’s try something classic. Now there’s an old story called ‘Trajan’s Jest,’ or somebody’s, and I’ll look it up, and perhaps we can adapt it to modern times.” “Oh, Jack, I don’t want any old Roman performance, with togas and sandals!” “No, goosey, not that. But just wait till I think it all out. Oh, Betty, it’ll be fine! Just you wait!” So Betty waited while Jack looked into some reference books, and when he found what he wanted, they soon had their heads together over the volume. After an hour of reading, chattering, laughing, and planning, Jack said: “And so, you see, it’s all clear sailing, if you girls can only carry it out in the right way.” “Oh, we can!” cried Betty. “Dorothy is so very dramatic, and Jeanette will be lovely in her part. Mine is the hardest.” “Of course it is; but it’s your joke, you know. Shall we tell Mother about it?” “I’d rather not—till it’s over. It’s all right, you know; she wouldn’t disapprove, but she’d think we couldn’t do it.” “It seems as if you ought to tell her.” “Oh, I’ll tell her that we’re going to play the joke. Here she comes now. Come in, Mother!” Mrs. McGuire came into the library where the children were. “What is it, dear?” she said. “Why, we’ve planned the joke for Grandpa,” said Betty, her eyes dancing with fun, “and it’s going to take a lot of acting. And, Mother, I don’t want to tell you about it till it’s all over. You don’t mind, do you?” “No, child; that is—I suppose, of course, it’s nothing wrong or impolite.” “Oh, no; it’s all perfectly correct and proper. Dorothy and Jeanette and I are to do it, but Jack planned it all. And, Mother, we’ll want the big carriage on Friday afternoon.” “All right, deary; now, mind, you are quite sure, aren’t you, I wouldn’t disapprove?” “Yes, Mother,” and Betty’s honest eyes were clear and frank. “It’s a jolly joke, but there’s nothing wrong about it, is there, Jack?” “Not a thing,” said Jack, chuckling. “I’ll look out for the girls, Mother. The whole affair won’t take an hour.” “Very well, then; go on. Your grandfather will be as pleased as yourselves if it succeeds.” There was much more planning, and then, when the whole affair was explained to Dorothy and Jeanette, they entered into the scheme with glee. “It’ll be just like amateur theatricals!” cried Dorothy, clapping her hands. “We must rehearse our parts. Oh, won’t it be fun?” “Can you dress up to look like a young lady?” said Jack. “Not a disguise, you know, but just make yourself look as if you were eighteen or twenty years old?”