If it had not been for Ruth, we should have gone on just as innocently as possible, and invited them--Marchbankses and all--to our Halloween frolic. But Ruth was such a little news-picker, with her music lessons! She had five scholars now; beside Lily and Reba, there were Elsie Hobart and little Frank Hendee, and Pen Pennington, a girl of her own age, who had come all the way from Fort Vancouver, over the Pacific Railroad, to live here with her grandmother. Between the four houses, Ruth heard everything. All Saints' Day fell on Monday; the Sunday made double hallowing, Barbara said; and Saturday was the "E'en." We did not mean to invite until Wednesday; on Tuesday Ruth came home and told us that Olivia and Adelaide Marchbanks were getting up a Halloween themselves, and that the Haddens were asked already; and that Lily and Reba were in transports because they were to be allowed to go. "Did you say anything?" asked Rosamond. "Yes. I suppose I ought not; but Elinor was in the room, and I spoke before I thought." "What did you tell her?" "I only said it was such a pity; that you meant to ask them all. And Elinor said it would be so nice here. If it were anybody else, we might try to arrange something." But how could we meddle with the Marchbankses? With Olivia and Adelaide, of all the Marchbankses? We could not take it for granted that they meant to ask us. There was no such thing as suggesting a compromise. Rosamond looked high and splendid, and said not another word. In the afternoon of Wednesday Adelaide and Maud Marchbanks rode by, homeward, on their beautiful little brown, long-tailed Morgans. "They don't mean to," said Barbara. "If they did, they would have stopped." "Perhaps they will send a note to-morrow," said Ruth. "Do you think I am waiting, in hopes?" asked Rosamond, in her clearest, quietest tones. Pretty soon she came in with her hat on. "I am going over to invite the Hobarts," she said. "That will settle it, whatever happens," said Barbara. "Yes," said Rosamond; and she walked out. The Hobarts were "ever so much obliged to us; and they would certainly come." Mrs. Hobart lent Rosamond an old English book of "Holiday Sports and Observances," with ten pages of Halloween charms in it. From the Hobarts' house she walked on into Z----, and asked Leslie Goldthwaite and Helen Josselyn, begging Mrs. Ingleside to come too, if she would; the doctor would call for them, of course, and should have his supper; but it was to be a girl-party in the early evening. Leslie was not at home; Rosamond gave the message to her mother. Then she met Lucilla Waters in the street. "I was just thinking of you," she said. She did not say, "coming to you," for truly, in her mind, she had not decided it. But seeing her gentle, refined face, pale always with the life that had little frolic in it, she spoke right out to that, without deciding.