ow, Bob," Nita Reese remonstrated, "don't you think you're a bit hard
on Jean this time? I know she's a good deal of a land-grabber, but now
she's gone into an open competition just like any one else, and if she
wins it will be because she deserves to."

"Ye-es," admitted Bob grudgingly. "Yes, of course it will. I know that
as well as you do, Nita Reese. Just the same she's never any good in
Gest and Pant, is she, Teddie?"

"In what?" demanded Helen Adams and Clara Madison together.

"Gest and Pant--short for Gesture and Pantomime, senior course in
elocution," explained Teddie rapidly. "Oh, I don't know. I think she's
done some pretty good things once in a while. And anyhow she can't fool
the committee and Mr. Masters."

"Of course not," agreed Bob.

"Just the same," said Madeline Ayres, who had come up in time to hear
the end of the argument, "we'll stand for her if she gets the part, but
until she does we can hope against hope for a dark horse, can't we,
Bob?"

"What's a dark horse?" asked Clara Madison in her funny, slow drawl.

"Your vocabulary's getting a big increase this morning, isn't it,
Clara?" said Madeline quizzically. "Gest and Pant, short for Gesture and
Pantomime; dark horse, short for a person like---- Girls, run in,
quick. She's begun calling the roll."

It was a long morning. The committee watched its hours go by
complacently enough. They had heard Jean again and liked her better; and
the two girls who were to compete with her had improved, too, on second
trial. There was no doubt that the Portias were good. They were also
nervous. Kate Denise didn't even pretend to "Take notes, young ladies,"
though Dr. Hinsdale looked straight at her when he said it, and Babbie
Hildreth made herself the butt of endless jibes by absent-mindedly
mentioning Nerissa instead of Napoleon in History 10. Jean, on the other
hand, was as cool as possible. She sat beside Teddie Wilson in
philosophy, much to the annoyance of that unhappy young person, and
added insult to injury by trying to discuss the play. Teddie was as
unresponsive as she thought consistent with the duty of being lady-like,
but Jean didn't seem to mind, for she went off to lunch smiling a
satisfied, triumphant little smile that seemed to say she had gotten
just what she wanted out of Teddie.

At two o'clock Mr. Masters and Miss Kingston met the play committee in
Miss Kingston's office, and the Shylock trials began. At ten minutes
before three the g