," counted Anne.

"Let us make it a dozen," suggested Miriam.

"Then who shall the other two members be?"

"Why not ask the Emerson Twins?" suggested Arline. "They would be good
material, and they are both splendid on committees. Julia Emerson nearly
worked her head off for the sophomore reception last fall."

"Very well, we will ask them," agreed Grace. "In case any one of the
girls we have named but haven't yet interviewed should not wish to
belong to our society we can propose some one else to take her place. In
the meantime you must each be thinking of a name for our little club. We
can meet in the library after the last class to-morrow afternoon, and go
from there to Vinton's to talk it over. Arline, you must tell Gertrude
Wells, Elizabeth Wade and Marian Cummings. We can easily see the
others."

"The dinner bell! Thank goodness!" exclaimed Elfreda fervently. "I am
almost starved. I hope dinner will be better than last night's offering.
Everything we had to eat was warranted to fatten one."

"Never mind, Elfreda," consoled Arline. "Think how nice it will be when
you make the team. That will be a reward worth having."

"Yes, if I make it," grumbled the stout girl.

"We will go on with our new plan after dinner," said Grace. Then as an
afterthought she added: "Don't say anything about it at the table.
Suppose we keep it a secret until our society is in running order?"

"Hello, children," greeted Emma Dean, as they entered the dining room
that night. "Has the board of directors been holding a meeting? I see
you are all here."

Several girls already seated at the table looked up smilingly as the six
girls slipped into their places. Laura Atkins returned Arline's friendly
nod with a cold bow. She did not appear to see the others. During the
progress of the meal she said little, keeping up a pretense of
indifference as to what went on around her. Nevertheless her eyes
strayed more than once toward the end of the table where Elfreda was
entertaining the girls sitting nearest to her with a ludicrous account
of what had happened to her on her way back to Overton. Miriam
accidentally intercepted one of these straying glances. In it she
fancied she read reproach. A quick flush rose to Laura Atkins's cheeks.
Drawing down her eyebrows she scowled defiantly at Miriam, then turned
her head away, and went on with her dinner.

After dinner the discussion of the proposed club was renewed with
energy. Emma Dean's innocen