Beulah suggested it--I guess she knows the recipe."
"I think it's all kinds of fruit chopped together," volunteered
Tess.
"But aren't you having a great deal of fruit--and pickles?"
suggested Mrs. Merriam mildly.
"Oh, well," explained Tess, rather grandly, "at a swell function you
don't have to have many substantial viands, you know."
"Oh, I nearly forgot--this is to be a swell function."
"Yes, the real thing," said Tess proudly. "Potted palms and hand-
painted place-cards and orchestra music and candle shades and
everything!"
"Candle shades?--won't it be daylight at six o'clock?"
"Well, then, we'll pull down the window shades," said Tess,
undisturbed. "Candle-light '11 add--"
Aunt Nettie, who couldn't keep still any longer, cut in:
"Will you tell me where you're going to get an orchestra?"
"Oh," said Tess, with an air of patience, "we're going to fix the
date on a band-practice night. I guess they'd be willing to practice
on your porch if we gave them some ice-cream and cake."
"My word!" gasped Aunt Nettie.
"Music always adds so much e'clat to an affair," pursued Tess,
unruffled.
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