whispered Betty.

"But they've seen us," objected Helen, "and you'd miss the fudge."

A moment later, three girls and a Japanese screen fell through Georgia's
door into the midst of an amazed freshmen fudge party.

"Goodness," said Georgia, when she had recovered her breath. "Did you
hear that horrid Lucile? 'A regular freshman trick'--that's what she
said to her man. They blame everything on us."

"Well if this fudge is regular freshman fudge, it's the best I ever
tasted," said little Helen Adams tactfully.

Later in the evening Betty trailed her red kimono into Helen's room.
"Helen," she began, "did I have on my pearl pin when we started
down-stairs to-night? I can't find it anywhere."

"I don't think you did," said Helen, thoughtfully, "but I'll go and
see. You might have dropped it off when we all landed in a heap on the
floor."

But the freshmen had not found the pin and diligent search of Georgia's
room, as well as of the halls and stairways, failed to reveal it.

"Oh, well, I suppose it will turn up," said Betty easily. "I lost it
once last year, and ages afterward I found it in my desk. I shan't worry
yet awhile. I didn't have it on this morning, did I?"

This time Helen remembered positively. "No, you had on your lucky
pin--the silver four-leaved clover that I like so much. I noticed
particularly."

"All right then," said Betty. "I saw it last night, so it must be about
somewhere. Some day when I'm not so lame from riding and so sleepy, I'll
have a grand hunt for it."

CHAPTER V

THE RETURN OF MARY BROOKS

All through the fall Mary Brooks's "little friends" had been hoping for
a visit from her, and begging her to come soon, before the fine weather
was over. Now she was really and truly coming. Roberta had had the
letter of course, by virtue of being Mary's most faithful satellite; but
it was meant for them all.

"The conquering heroine is coming," Mary wrote. "She will arrive at four
on Monday, and you'd better, some of you, meet the train, because
there's going to be a spread along, and the turkey weighs a ton. Don't
plan any doings for me. I've been to a dance or a dinner every night for
two weeks and I'm already sick of being a busy bud, though I've only
been one for a month--not to mention having had the gayest kind of a
time all summer. So you see I'm coming to Harding to rest and
recuperate, and to watch you children play at being seniors. I know how
busy you are, and what a bore