Maddy had never attended a big party in her life, and her eyes sparkled from mere anticipation as she looked appealingly to her grandfather, who, though classing parties with the pomps and vanities from which he would shield his child, still remembered that he once was young; that, fifty years ago he, too, like Maddy, wanted “to see the folly of it,” and not take the mere word of older people that in every festival scene there was a pitfall, strewn over so thickly with roses that it was ofttimes hard to tell just where its boundary line commenced. Besides that, grandpa had faith in Guy, and so his consent was granted, and Maddy was soon on her way to Aikenside, which presented a gayer, busier appearance than she had seen there before. Jessie was wild with delight, dragging forth at once the pink dress which she was to wear, and whispering to Maddy that Guy had bought a blue silk for her, and that Sarah Jones was at that moment fashioning it after a dress left there by Maddy the previous summer. “Mother said plain white muslin was more appropriate for a young girl, but brother Guy said no; the blue silk would be useful after the party; it was what you needed; and so he bought it and paid two dollars a yard, but it’s a secret until you are called to try it on. Isn’t Guy splendid?” He was indeed splendid. Maddy thought, wondering why he was so kind to her, and if it would be so when Lucy came. The dress fitted admirably, though Maddy thought her grandfather would say it was too low in the neck, but Sarah overruled her objections, assisted by Guy, who, when the dress was complete and tried on for the last time, was called in by Jessie to see if “Maddy must have a piece sewed on, as she suggested.” The neck was _au fait_, Guy said, laughing at Maddy for being so old-maidish, and saying when he saw how really distressed she seemed, that he would provide her with something to relieve the bareness of which she complained. “Oh, I know, I saw, I _peeked_ in the box,” Jessie began, but Guy put his hand over the little tattler’s mouth, bidding her keep the result of her _peeking_ to herself. And for once Jessie succeeded in doing so, although she several times set Maddy to guessing what it was Guy had for her in a box! As the size of the box was not mentioned, Maddy had fully made up her mind to a shawl or scarf, and was proportionately disappointed when, as she was dressing for the party, there was sent up to her room a small round box, scarcely large enough to hold an apple, much less a small scarf. The present proved to be a pair of plain but heavy bracelets, and a most exquisitely wrought chain of gold, to which was appended a beautiful pearl cross, the whole accompanied with the words, “From Guy.”