THE MYSTERIOUS "PETER RABBIT" The gymnasium had, perhaps, never held a more motley crowd of revelers than on the night of the Famous Fiction masquerade.

The faculty, who had been particularly interested in the idea of the masquerade, declared that for originality it was in line with 19--'s usual efforts.

They occupied seats in the gallery and amused themselves with trying to guess the identity of the various maskers and the books or famous book characters which they represented.
It had been decided that as so many of the famous book titles did not lend themselves to impersonation, famous characters in fiction might also be impersonated.

Therefore, when the longed-for night came round, heroes and heroines, with whose adventures and doings the book-lover's world is familiar, walked about, arm in arm, collected in little groups, or danced gayly together to the music of the eight-piece Overton orchestra, whose members appeared to appreciate the humor of the occasion as keenly as did the faculty.
It was an inspiring sight to watch "Hamlet" parading calmly about the gymnasium with "Beverly of Graustark," or to watch "Mrs.Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch" waltz merrily off with "Rip Van Winkle." Every one immediately recognized "The Bow of Orange Ribbon" and "Robinson Crusoe." Meek little Oliver Twist, with his big porridge bowl decorated by a wide white band bearing the legend, "I want some more," was also easy to guess.

So were "Evangeline," "Carmen," "The Little Lame Prince," "Ivanhoe," "Janice Meredith," and scores of other book ladies and gentlemen.
There were a few masqueraders, however, whose fictitious identity was shrouded in mystery.