“I know that is a girl.  I am positive of it.  But who can she be?” was the comment of one of the ladies behind Mrs. Howland.

“Well I have an idea I might tell her name if I chose,” said Mrs. Howland under her breath to Peggy.

“Didn’t she do it beautifully?” whispered Peggy, squeezing Mrs. Howland’s hand in a rapture.  “But please don’t tell.  Please don’t.”

Mrs. Howland smiled down upon the eager face upraised to hers.  “Do you think I am likely to?” she asked.

Peggy nodded her head in negative, but before she could say more Polly and another girl came walking down the aisle.  Even Peggy looked in surprise at the newcomer, then she gave a little gasp.  The girl was much taller than Polly, and rather broad shouldered for a girl, but strange to relate, looked enough like Peggy to be her twin.  Mr. Stewart gave a startled exclamation and seemed about to rise from his seat.  Peggy laid a detaining hand upon his and whispered:  “Don’t.”  Her father looked at her as though he did not know whether his wits or hers were departing.  The play was again in progress so Polly and her companion took their seats next Mrs. Harold who had returned some minutes before.  Polly was doing her best to control her laughter, but the girl with her was the very personification of decorum.

“In heaven’s name who is that girl?” Peggy’s father asked in a low voice.

“He’s—­he’s—­” and Peggy broke down.

“What?”

“Yes—­I’ll tell you later, but isn’t it too funny for words?”

“Why child she—­he-ahem—­that person is enough like you to be your sister.  Who—­” and poor puzzled Neil Stewart was too bewildered to complete his sentence or follow the play.

“Yes; I’ve known that from the first and it is perfectly absurd,” answered Peggy, “but I never realized how like me until this minute.  But he will catch the very mischief if he is found out.  But where did he get those clothes?  They aren’t a part of the costumes so far as I know.”

But there is just where Peggy’s calculations fell down, for the dainty lingerie gown, with its exquisite Charlotte Corday hat had been added to the costumes to substitute others which had been ordered but could not be supplied.  Consequently Peggy had not happened to see it.

And the handsome girl?  Well she certainly was a beauty with her dark hair, perfect eyebrows, flashing dark eyes and faultless teeth.  Her skin was dark but the cheeks were mantled with a wonderful color.  As the play was still in progress, she could not, of course, enter into conversation with Polly’s friends, but her smile was fascinating to a rare degree.

At length the second act ended, and Neil Stewart could stand it no longer.

“Peggy, introduce me to that girl right off.  Why—–­why, she might be you,” and Peggy’s father fairly mopped his brow in perturbation.