There was not a soul, except the little old lady herself, who did not join the two long lines stretching from one end of the rooms to the other and when it came Anne's turn, she was not afraid to bow and curtsey as the others had done, for she had quickly mastered the various figures of the dance.
Moreover, was she not wearing a beautiful dress of pink crepe de Chine?
After all a pretty dress does make a great difference.

Anne felt she could never have danced so well in the old black silk.
When the reel was over the boys and girls joined hands and formed an immense circle about their charming hostess, whirling madly around her as they cried: "Three cheers for Mrs.Gray!" The old lady was very happy.

She waved her small, wrinkled hands at them and called out over the din: "Three cheers for my dear freshmen boys and girls!" At length, when the hands of the clock pointed to two, and the last of the dancers had departed, Mrs.Gray sank into a chair exhausted.
"I am tired," she said, "but I never in my life had such a good time!" Was there ever a girl in the world who did not want to exchange confidences with her best friends after a party?
Grace and Anne, therefore, were not surprised when two figures in dressing gowns and slippers stole into their room, crouching on the rug before the fire.
"We've all sorts of things to say," exclaimed Nora, "else we wouldn't think of keeping you up so late.

In the first place, wasn't it perfectly delightful ?" "Grand!" sighed the others.
"Everything except that one accident, and the thing that caused it," answered Grace.
"By the way, Anne, where is the doll ?" asked Jessica.
Anne produced it from its box.
"Here it is," she said sadly.

"But it was a cruel joke.