A rehearsal was held that evening at Dessie Farnum's. Will's headache prevented his attendance; but his part was read, and things went as smoothly as is usual on such occasions. Flossy showed a desire to recite the whole of the scenes in which she took part; but as they chanced to be principally between herself and Burleigh Blood, who knew few of his lines, this was rather a help.
"If you were only a ventriloquist, Flossy," Patty said, "Burleigh need do nothing but act bashful, and you could do all the talking."
"I wonder if I couldn't learn," Flossy returned, beginning to repeat Burleigh's part in a deep voice, which made them all laugh.
"I'm afraid I shall have to learn myself," Blood said, "unless you can do better than that."
"Better than that! What base ingratitude!"
"Are these plates old-fashioned enough?" Dessie asked. "They were my grandmother's."
"Do!" exclaimed Flossy. "They are rapturous! Oh the things we shall have to eat off them!"
"What will you have? Brown-bread and beans, I suppose."
"Oh, dear, no! Chicken-salad and Charlotte-Russes. I am glad I'm going to be Waitstill Eastman. I couldn't have stood it to see anybody else eating, and I left out. It must certainly be salad and Charlottes."