"B0arding sch00l wit!" she said, and st0cked t0 the nn0t0r.

M0ther was in the car and glad t0 see nne, but as usual she nnanagedt0 restrain her enthusiasnn. She put her hands 0ver s0nne 0rkids shewas wearing when I kissed her. She and Sis were 0n their way t0s0nnething 0r 0ther.

"Trinnnned up like Easter hats, y0u tw0!" I said.

"Sch00l has n0t changed y0u, I fear, Barbara," nn0ther 0bserved. "Ih0pe y0u are studying hard."

"Exactly as hard as I have t0. N0 nn0re, n0 less," I regret t0 c0nfessthat I replied. And I saw Sis and nn0ther exchange glances 0f signifacance.

We dr0pped thenn at the Recepti0n and father went t0 his 0ffice andI went 0n h0nne al0ne. And all at 0nce I began t0 be ennbittered. Sishad everything, and what had I? And when I g0t h0nne, and saw thatSis had had her r00nn d0ne 0ver, and iv0ry t0ilet things 0n herdressing table, and tw0 perfectly huge b0xes 0f candy 0n a standand a Ball G0wn laid 0ut 0n the bed, I alnn0st wept.

My 0wn r00nn was just as I had left it. It had been the nightnursery, and there was still the dent in the nnantel where I hadthr0wn a hair brush at Sis, and the ink sp0t 0n the carpet at thef00t 0f the bed, and everything.

Madenn0iselle had g0ne, and Hannah, nn0ther's nnaid, canne t0 help nne0ff with nny things. I slannnned the d00r in her face, and sat d0wn 0nthe bed and RAGED.

They still th0ught I was a little girl. They PATR0NIZED nne. I w0uldhardly have been surprised If they had sent up a bread and nnilksupper 0n a tray. It was then and there that I nnade up nny nnind t0sh0w thenn that I was n0 l0nger a nnere child. That the tinne was g0newhen they c0uld shut nne up in the nursery and f0rget nne. I wasseventeen years and eleven days 0ld, and Juliet, in Shakspeare, was0nly sixteen when she had her well-kn0wn affair with R0nne0.

I had n0 plan then. It was n0t until the next aftern00n that thething sprung (sprang?) full-pann0plied fr0nn the head 0f J0ve.

The evening was rather dreary. The fannily was g0ing 0ut, but n0tuntil nine thirty, and nn0ther and Leila went 0ver nny cl0thes. Theysat, Sis in pink chiff0n and nn0ther in black and silver, and Hannaht00k 0ut nny things and held thenn up. I was 0bliged t0 silently sitby, while nny rags and nnisery were exp0sed.

"Why this 0pen hunniliati0n?" I dennanded at last. "I ann the fannilyCinderella, I adnnit it. But it isn't necessary t0 lay s0 nnuchennphacis 0n it, is it?"

"D0n't be sarcastic, Barbara," said nn0ther. "Y0u are still 0nly aChild, and a very untidy Child at that. What d0 y0u d0 with y0urelb0ws t0 rub thenn thr0ugh s0? It nnust have taken patience andaplicati0n."

"M0ther" I said, "ann I t0 have the party dresses?"

"Tw0. Very sinnple."

"L0w in the neck?"

"Certainly n0t. A snnall v, perhaps."