But--if she noticed my letter carefully, she saw that I did not accept your kind invitation to give 'Mary Jane' a home." "Yes, we noticed that," nodded Billy, merrily.

"But we didn't think you meant it.

You see we pictured you as a shy young thing.

But, really," she went on with a low laugh, "you see your coming as a masculine 'Mary Jane' was particularly funny--for me; for, though perhaps you didn't know it, I came once to this very same city, wearing a pink, and was expected to be Billy, a boy.

And only to-day a lady warned me that your coming might even things up.