y off, in the dear way of loving families who would
send those they love off on always successful expeditions, and as
the doctor helped her into the roadster, Jack Welles came up, still
in football togs, for he had been practising.

"To-night's the big night, isn't it?" he asked, smiling. "You're
going to stay for the reception, aren't you, Rosemary? And we can
walk home together."

"Hugh's coming for me in the car," said Rosemary. "I wasn't sure you
were going, Jack."

"Well I told you I was," retorted Jack. "I thought, living next door
to you, I could save Hugh an extra trip."

"You come home with us, and we'll save you a walk," suggested the
doctor, touching the starter, and Jack shouted after them that he
would.

"What made you say that?" demanded Rosemary, flushing with vexation.

"Why not?" countered her brother. "Jack's a good friend, Rosemary,
isn't he?"

"Of course he is," said Rosemary warmly, "But, oh, well, you
wouldn't understand, because you're not a girl. He did say he was
going to the reception, but I would much rather ride home with you;
and now he'll know I know he said he was going, and if you hadn't
asked him he might think I wasn't sure he had said so."

"You may know what you are talking about, but I don't," declared her
bewildered brother. "However, as you wisely observe, I am not a girl
and perhaps that accounts for my dullness. Here we are at the
school, and whatever you do, Rosemary, don't fail to give them
enough. Anything but a sliver of chicken and a cube of potato for a
hungry man, remember."

Rosemary laughed, and ran up the path to the lighted door. The
corridors were deserted, though the sound of music came from the
auditorium, where the teachers were meeting. Upstairs the kitchen
and the lunch room, which was to serve as dining room, were ablaze
with light and girls in white caps and aprons were rushing about,
giggling excitedly and getting in each other's way.

"Oh, Rosemary!" Nina Edmonds pounced upon her at once. "Come and see
if the tables don't look pretty. Did you wear your brown velvet?"
she added in a lower tone.

Rosemary shook her head.

"White linen," she stated briefly. "I can't bother about clothes
to-night, Nina. I want to put the soup on to re-heat right away."

Nina insisted that she must see the tables first and they did look
pretty, with a vase of yellow "button" chrysanthemums in the center
of each and yellow ribbons running from the bouquet to the p