ten o'clock
Now I must leave you for a minute and see if everyone is having a good time . We 'll have another comfy old talk later . '' To Mary Raymond fell the altogether agreeable task of keeping Marjorie away from the dining-room , where Mrs. Dean , Ethel Duval and two of her classmates busied themselves with the decorating of the two long tables . By ten o'clock all was ready for the guests . In the middle of each table , rising from a centerpiece of ferns , was a green silk pennant , bearing the figures 19 -- embroidered in scarlet . The staffs of the two pennants were wound with green and scarlet ribazine which extended in long streamers to each place , and was tied to dainty hand-painted pennant-shaped cards , on which appeared the names of the guests . Laid beside the place cards were funny little favors , which had been gleefully chosen with a sly view toward exploiting every one 's pet hobby , while at either end of each table were tall vases of red roses , which seemed to nod their fragrant approval of the merry-making .