ad arrived only just in time for Mr. Masters's
dramatic exit.

"Why, he was perfectly calm while the Shylocks were performing,"
explained Barbara. "We had Jean come last because we thought that would
give them all the best chance. He smiled blandly while she was going
through her part and bowed her out as if she had been a second Booth.
Then he sat back and looked at me and said 'Well?' and I said, 'Do you
like her best, Mr. Masters?' He glared at me for a minute and then began
to talk about the seriousness of giving a Shakespearean play and the
confidence he'd felt in us to advise us to give this one, and the
reasons why none of the girls he'd heard would do at all for Shylock.
When he was through he just picked up his hat and coat and told us to go
and get the other girls who tried, as he'd be ready to see them at
half-past four. After that he apologized to Miss Kingston if he'd been
'in the least abrupt'--and went."

"And what are we to do now?" demanded Clara, wearily.

"Get them--the forlorn hopes, as he called them," said Barbara,
determined to be cheerful, "and hope that we shall be happily
disappointed in them. Somebody's got to be Shylock, you know. Betty,
will you go for these three girls on Main Street?" She handed Betty a
slip of paper. "Clara, will you try to find Emily Davis? Rachel, you
look tired to death. Go home and rest. Josephine and I can manage the
campus people."

"There's no use in your getting the Miller girls," said Clara,
decisively. "One lisps and the other stammers."

"That's true," agreed Barbara, cheerily. "We'll leave them out, and
Kitty Lacy has gone home ill. I wish we could think of some promising
people who haven't tried at all. Eleanor Watson used to act very
cleverly. Betty, do you suppose she would be willing to come and read
the part?"

Betty shook her head. "I don't think she would take a part under any
circumstances, but certainly not if she had to compete with Jean.
They're such old friends."

"How about Madeline Ayres?"

"She's set her heart on being the Prince of Morocco," laughed Betty,
"because she wants to be blackened up. Anyway I don't think--"

"No, I don't either, Betty," interposed Miss Kingston. "Miss Ayres
couldn't do a part like Shylock."

"Then I don't believe there is any one else who didn't try before," said
Barbara. "We must just hope for the best, that's all."

Betty had opened the door preparatory to starting on her rounds when she
happened to