The platform, full of flower-like faces and flower-like dresses, looked so pretty. Everybody seemed happy. How sweet darling mother looked, sitting among the young folks like a fine white queen, her gold-brown eyes shining with pleasure. Uncle Tom was as young as anybody, dancing as blithely as if he had never heard of Mrs. Merridew. His beard had grown out in all its old magnificence and the streaks of gray in it did not show in that mellow light. What a lovely dress Suzanne was wearing…green crepe and green lace swirling about her feet. Suzanne was not really pretty…she said herself that she had a mouth like a gargoyle…but she was distinguished looking…a friend to be proud of. May Binnie, with all her flashing, full-blown beauty, looked almost comical beside her. Poor Rex Miller was not there. At home, sulking, Pat thought with a regretful shrug. She had not exactly refused him two evenings before…Pat did not often actually have to refuse her lovers…she was, as Judy would have said, too diplomatic-like…but she had the knack of delicately making them understand a certain thing and thus avoiding for herself and them the awkwardness of a blunt “no.”

Where was Sid’s Dorothy, with her sweet dark face? She had not come either. Pat wondered why. She hated herself for half hoping Sid and Dorothy had quarreled. But if that were the reason Sid was dancing so often with May Binnie Pat felt she was already punished for her selfish hope. Of course May was a good dancer…of her kind. At any rate, the boys all liked to dance with her. May was never in any danger of being a wallflower.

Amy’s new ring flashed on the shoulder of her partner as she drifted by. Amy was engaged. Another change. What a pity people had to grow up…and get married…and go away. She had always liked Amy much better than Norma. She recalled with considerable relish the time she had slapped Norma’s face for making fun of Silver Bush. Norma never dared to do it again.

What an exquisite profile Rae had as she lifted her face to her partner…a tall Silverbridge boy. Rae had no lack of partners either. And the way she had of looking at them! Really, the child was getting to be quite a handful. Was there actually anybody standing back in the shadows behind Tillytuck? Pat had fancied several times there was but could never be quite sure. Probably Uncle Tom’s hired man.