Sairy Pritchett was very much in evidence. She sat with half a dozen other young women and by their looks and laughter they were evidently commenting unfavorably upon the Bray girls' appearance and character. Lyddy bowed pleasantly to Mr. Badger and the other young men who spoke to her; but she gave her main attention to Harris. But 'Phemie noted all the sidelong glances, the secret whispering, the bold and harsh words. She was very sorry they had come. Alone, 'Phemie could have given these girls "as good as they sent." Young as she was, her experience among common-minded girls like these had prepared her to hold her own with them. There had been many unpleasant happenings in the millinery shop where she had worked, of which she had told Lyddy nothing. Mr. Somers came down from the desk to speak to the party from Hillcrest before the meeting opened. But everybody turned around to stare when he did so, and the teacher grew red to his very ears and remained but a moment under fire. "Hul-_lo_!" exclaimed Harris Colesworth, under his breath, and 'Phemie knew that he immediately realized the situation. The whole membership--at least, the female portion of it--was hostile to the party from Hillcrest. While the entertainment was proceeding, however, the Bray girls and their escorts were left in peace. Sairy Pritchett sat where she could stare at Lyddy and 'Phemie, and they were conscious of her antagonistic gaze all the time. But Lucas was quite undisturbed by his sister's ogling and when there came a break in the program he leaned over and demanded of her in a perfectly audible voice: "I say, Sairy! You keep on starin' like that and you'll git suthin' wuss'n a squint--you'll git cross-eyed, and it'll stay fixed! Anything about _me_ you don't like the look of? Is my necktie crooked?" Some of the others laughed--and at Sairy. It made the spinster furious. "You're a perfect fool, Lucas Pritchett!" she snapped. "If you ever _did_ have any brains, you've addled 'em now over certain folks that I might mention." "Go it, old gal!" said the slangy Lucas. "Ev'ry knock's a boost--don't forgit that!" "Hush!" commanded 'Phemie, in a whisper. "Huh! that cat's goin' to do somethin' mean. I can see it," growled Lucas. "She is your sister," admonished 'Phemie. "That's how I come to know her so well," returned Lucas, calmly. "If she'd only been a boy I'd licked her aout o' this afore naow!" "About _what_?" asked the troubled 'Phemie. "Oh, just over her 'tarnal meanness. And maw's so foolish, too; _she_ could stop her." "I'm sorry we came here to-night, Lucas," 'Phemie whispered. And at the same moment Lyddy was saying exactly the same thing to Harris Colesworth. "Pshaw!" said the young chemist, in return, "don't give 'em the satisfaction of seeing we're disturbed. They know no better. I can't understand why they should be so nasty to us."