“Nan darling, you never could guess what you and I are going to do.”
“It must be a happy something, by the way you are shining.”
“Oh, it is the most exciting thing that ever happened in all my life,” the other girl exclaimed joyously as she sat on the window seat facing her friend. “It’s an invitation that came in this letter, and Mrs. Dorsey has granted us both permission to accept.”
Nan’s dark eyes were wide with wonder. “Am I invited to go somewhere?” she asked. “Please don’t keep me guessing about it any longer. Do tell me where.”
“Well, then, I’ll have to begin at the beginning. You have often heard me speak of my cousins the Dorchesters.” Nan nodded. “They have been in Florida all winter,” she continued, “but now they have returned and have opened up their city home and the tenth of May will be Peggy’s birthday and we are invited to her party. It will be on Saturday night, but Mrs. Dorsey said that we need not return to Pine Crest until the following day—and oh, I forgot to tell you! It’s a masquerade and we must begin at once to think what costumes we will wear. I have the sweetest May Queen dress! I might wear that with a wreath of apple blossoms in my hair.”
“Joy, that would just suit you, but pray what shall I wear?”
“Oh, Nan, do wear your red and gold gypsy dress. You look just beautiful in that. Say that you will to please me,” Phyllis pleaded.
“Very well; to please you and also to please myself. I would just love to have an excuse to wear that wonderful shawl that once long ago belonged to my beautiful mother.” There was always a wistful expression in the dark eyes when Nan spoke of the mother whom she had never known.
“Was your mother—” Phyllis hesitated.
Nan turned clear eyes toward her friend. “Was she a gypsy, do you mean? Dearie, I don’t in the least mind talking about it. Ask me anything that you wish. The only part that I regret is that I cannot answer anything with real knowledge. I have always supposed that my mother was the one of my parents who was a gypsy. That is what I told Queen Luella, but afterwards, in thinking it over, I wondered if it might not have been my father, or perhaps they both belonged to the band of Queen Mizella, I was not to be told until I was eighteen.”