At last everything was in place. Kitty gave a parting glance at the rooms. They must have fulfilled every requirement from the satisfied look on her face.
"Boys," she called to her cousins, who were finishing a hasty lunch in the dining-room, "you'll have to hurry. It's a quarter past seven this blessed minute. How long does it take you to get into evening clothes?"
"Not as long as it takes you by an hour," Ferren called back. "We'll go up to dress at eight, and then hang round for you."
"Don't you ever think it! I dress like chain lightning. Come on, Amanda, we'll show them how long it takes us."
Amanda, living near, had brought her clothes over, intending to dress with Kitty and stay all night. The girls scrambled through a half dozen things forgotten at the last minute, and then proceeded to dress with haste. But, sure enough, at a quarter past eight, Ferren, true to his word, emerged immaculate from his bedroom, and commenced beating a tattoo on Kitty's door.
"Go away!" Kitty called. "We're all ready. We're just resting a minute."
But Ferren, laughing scornfully, kept up the noise until the girls appeared.
Kitty opened the door and gave him a push.
"Go away now. You see we are dressed! We only have to put on a few touches; Amanda's flowers and—"
"I know those touches, Kitty. Come along!"