i am here at last, accompanied by two large leather trunks, which aunt gwendolin has filled with all sorts of costumes, for all sorts of occasions.

a page opened the door in response to the hackman's ring, when after some hours' journey by rail, i arrived at the fashionable "boarding school," and a maid conducted me up a flight of softly carpeted steps to my appointed rooms.

i had not more than taken off my wraps, when madam demill (she has declared that her name should be spelled de mille, but it has become corrupted in this democratic america) the head of the establishment, called upon me. she was cold, hard, stately; a creature of whalebone and steel as to body, and of pompadours and artificial braids as to head.

she announced after her first greeting that there was going to be a party that evening, and she wished me to be dressed in evening costume, and appear in the drawing-room at half past eight o'clock.

"if you would wear some of your distinctly spanish costumes it would be very apropos," she added. "i see you have the decided spanish complexion. i am glad you are pronounced in your nationality; it is so much more interesting. as you did not arrive in time for dinner, a tray shall be brought to your room with sufficient refreshment to keep you in good feature until you partake of the refreshment offered at the party," she added as she swept from the room.

how helpless i felt! i was to dress in evening costume for the "party." what was i to put on? for the first time in my life i wished that aunt gwendolin were near me. how i longed for my yellow silk gown that my governess in china had designed with flowing sleeves trimmed with "sprawling dragons!" i knew i looked better in that than in anything else, and i knew how to put it on; no infinitesimal hooks and eyes, pins and buttons, to be found, and put in exact places; which if one fails to do in the american gown the whole thing goes awry.

my worry was dispelled by the arrival of the maid with the promised tray. it was not too heavily laden to prevent me from completely emptying it, with the exception of the dishes.

while i was eating the maid unpacked my trunks,—you have not got to do much for yourself in a fashionable boarding school—hanging the articles in an adjoining clothes closet. during the same period of time a happy thought occurred to me.

"i will call aunt gwendolin over the long distance telephone and ask her what i shall wear at the party to-night!" was the happy inspiration.

in response to my request the maid conducted me to the telephone, and when the connection was made, i called:

"hello, aunt gwendolin! this is the yellow pearl speaking!"

"how does that little minx know that she is the yellow peril?" i heard my aunt say, probably to uncle theodore in the room beside her. then she turned to me and replied:

"well."

"what gown shall i wear to-night at the party?"

back over the two hundred miles of field, forest, lake, came aunt gwendolin's thin, squeaky voice:

"wear your cream-coloured oriental lace."

"does it fasten in the front or back? if in the back i cannot put it on myself!" i returned, over the fields and trees and waters.

"yes, you can, get some of the girls to fasten it for you," cried the voice through the phone. "be sure and wear that; it so emphasises your spanish style of beau——"

i hung up the receiver.

at my request the maid helped me to get into the cream oriental lace; and at half past eight i made my appearance in the drawing-room, as to dress, looking like a spanish grande dame, and as to face, looking as yellow, and lonesome, and sour as the fiercest spanish brigand.

i was introduced to mr. this-one, and mr. that-one and mr. the-other-one. they all looked alike to me, with high collars, and patent-leather shoes. after awhile there was a little dance, but as i did not know how i had to sit against the wall, and madam demill said i must be put under a dancing master at once.

the day following, in the afternoon (all the so-called lessons are gone through in the forenoon, and we have nothing to do but amuse ourselves the rest of the day) a number of the girls came to call on me in my apartments. there were a dozen or more of them present when an arrogant-looking one, with her hair arranged in an immense pompadour over her forehead, from ear to ear, drawled through her nose.

"i suppose you do not love americans since we beat your country at the battle of manila?"

"no," i said truthfully, "i do not love americans." (of course i mentally excepted grandmother, professor ballington, chauffeur graham—and uncle theodore when he acts nice.)

the girls threw their chins into the air, their eyes shot fire, and i heard several faint sniffs.

then a slim, golden-haired, blue-eyed girl stepped out from the group, and coming quickly to my side, she put her arm around me and said:

"we'll make her love us!" and she actually touched her rosebud lips to my yellow cheek.

since that i have not hated americans quite so savagely.

the act seemed to have a softening effect on the others, too, for from that time they all have treated me very decently, even the girl with the pompadour.

golden hair seems to have a great deal of influence in the school. there are some nice girls in america.