st before commencement
time," put in Belle Meade, who was there with Dave.

"Anyway, the seniors are not so very important," laughed Laura.
"the average age of the freshman class is about fourteen or fifteen.
The seniors are only three years older Pooh! Who's afraid?"

"I am," broke in Ben Badger, coming up behind them. "Desperately
afraid."

"You? Of what?" asked Laura, turning around upon him.

"Afraid that I'm too late to write my autograph on your dance
card," admitted Ben, with a rueful smile.

"But you're a senior," murmured Laura.

"Is that a crime?" demanded Ben, in a tone of wonder.

"Why, we were planning," put in Belle, "that the freshmen boys
and freshmen girls should dance together this evening."

"I see a ray of hope," protested Ben. "I'm going to college,
so I shall be a freshman again next year. Isn't that enough to
entitle me to one---square---dance, anyway?"

Without waiting for another reply, Ben caught up Laura's card,
and looked it over.

"May I have number nine, please?" he begged.

"Yes, thank you," Laura answered, so Badger scribbled his name.

"My hopes are rising," cried Frank Thompson, gliding into the
group.

Thereupon other seniors and juniors came up. It wasn't long before
Dick & Co. had to bestir themselves in order to be sure of having
dances enough with the girls of their own class.

"You can retaliate, you know, by going after some of the girls
of the two upper classes," suggested Laura.

"I don't believe I'll try that," Dick replied. "It's all right
for the upper class boys to want to dance with some of the freshman
girls, especially when the freshman girls are such a charming
lot-----"

"Our thanks!" And six girls bowed low before him.

"But it would be regarded, I'm afraid, as rank impudence, if we
little freshmen wanted to dance with senior or junior girls.
When a freshman is in doubt the tip is 'don't!'"

The orchestra was playing a lively waltz that made most of the
girls and many of the boys tap their feet restlessly.

The perfume of flowers was in the air. Lively chatter and merry
laughter rang out.

"This is the brighter side of school life," murmured Dick,
enthusiastically.

"One of the brighter sides," suggested Laura. "Your remark, as
you made it, sounds ungrateful. It is a delight to be a High
School student. There are no really dark sides to the life."

"But some sides are much brighter than others," Dick insisted.
"I like study, a