"At the party?" asked Linda, in amazement.
"Surest thing! It'll only add to the excitement."
"You'll never catch that baby!" remarked her brother, significantly.
"Go carefully," warned Mr. Haydock. "After all, there is a chance that she isn't guilty."
"A pretty slim chance!" laughed his daughter. "Anyway, it will be fun to spot her among all those rigs and false-faces."
"I thought you were going to say rigs and wigs, Sis!"
"All right, any way you like, Tim. Only I guess we better stop fooling and get dressed. It may take a good while to wiggle into our costumes. Especially yours, Big Boy," she added, to Ted. For he was to wear an old suit of her father's, which was sure to be rather small for him.
The girls, who had been used to these sorts of affairs, found the dance just like all the other parties. Lights, splendid costumes, gayety, color, and music; but to Ted Mackay it was strange and exciting. But he danced well, and his manners were just as good as those of the other boys—if anything he was more courteous than many of them. To his surprise he found that he was being fêted along with Linda and Louise, who were singled out and congratulated every few minutes, not only by friends, but by mere acquaintances as well, who had read about them in the papers and felt proud to know them.
But although Ted was carried away by the fun and the excitement, Louise did not forget the fact that she had a self-appointed duty to perform, to corner Bess Hulbert, and ply her with questions.
She thought she had identified her in a Dutch girl's costume, but she found when they all unmasked for supper that she was mistaken.