"isn't he stunning!" gasped tavia.

"do you think so? i never call a pretty boy 'stunning,'" replied dorothy. "i like tom's looks best. he's so vigorous and athletic."

"but roland's curly hair! and that complexion—so hyacinthy."

"precisely my objection," argued dorothy. "i always object to 'hyacinthy' boys."

"well, i'm just a little glad of it, doro, for the fact is i think i might inveigle him into taking care of me at the 'doings.' now, i happen to know he fancies you, and my only chance is that you may turn him down."

dorothy laughed merrily. she was no prude, and made no pretense of being one. she enjoyed most of the nonsense that girls between fifteen and eighteen years of age usually enjoy. the strange young men, tom jennings and roland scott, whom the white boys had taken to the woods on the "evergreen hunt," called that very morning—came to make their "party call," they said.

dorothy and tavia were busy with the christmas wreaths when the strangers happened in. ned and nat had gone to town, and it devolved upon the girls to be "civil" to the new boys.

to be sure, joe and roger helped some, but roger managed to say rather embarrassing things about beaus, and roland's love, that youth having asked the little chap to take some "regards" to norah.

tom laughed, but roland almost blushed. dorothy and tavia could scarcely appreciate the joke, but managed to guess that the boys had been talking about them.

finally tom came to the rescue by telling about the "ghost scream." tavia was much interested, but dorothy laughed at the idea. she had any amount of explanations to offer for the queer occurrence, but none of them was accepted as being plausible.

tom and roland both declared they would go out again some day and look the whole thing over carefully.

then dorothy told the visitors of the christmas plans—at least, she attempted to tell them, but was interrupted by the coming of ned and nat. so the girls were excused and the boys left to their own resources.

it was after all this that dorothy and tavia gave their personal views of the two young men from college.

"they may help along our charity play," suggested dorothy. "they look as if they might be able to act, especially mr. jennings."

"yes, i fancy he could act some parts—a big part with a whole lot of sitting down in it," said tavia.

"and mr. scott might be something on the christmas tree," returned dorothy. "in a pretty, striped dress he would make a dear little cornucopia, his blond head sticking out of the top like a sweet little doll."