Aunt Hattie raised her eyebrows and threw up her hands, and said: "That child--in the evening! Why, Madge, are you crazy ?" And Mother said no, she wasn't crazy at all; but it was the only chance Father would have to see me, and she didn't feel that she had any right to deprive him of that privilege, and she didn't think it would do me any harm to be out this once late in the evening.

And she intended to let me go.
Aunt Hattie still didn't approve, and she said more, quite a lot more; but Grandfather spoke up and took my part, and said that, in his opinion, Madge was right, quite right, and that it was no more than fair that the man should have a chance to talk with his own child for a little while, and that he would be very glad to take me himself and look after me, if Aunt Hattie did not care to take the trouble.
Aunt Hattie bridled up at that, and said that that wasn't the case at all; that she'd be very glad to look after me; and if Mother had quite made up her mind that she wanted me to go, they'd call the matter settled.
And Mother said she had, and so it was settled.

And I'm going.

I'm to wear my new white dress with the pink rosebud trimming, and I'm so excited I can hardly wait till to-morrow night.

But--oh, if only Mother would go, too! * * * * * _Two days later_.
Well, _now_ I guess something's doing all right! And my hand is shaking so I can hardly write--it wants to get ahead so fast and _tell_.