ean," declared Arline. "She was at Morton House yesterday for
luncheon, and I ran across her in the hall. I asked her to ask you if
you would see Miss Wilder after classes yesterday afternoon."

"Emma Dean again," laughed Grace. "Didn't you know, Arline, that the
Dean messenger service is absolutely unreliable? Emma is always
perfectly willing to deliver a message, but never remembers to deliver
it. Only last week Elfreda made an engagement with a dressmaker who sews
for Emma. In the meantime Emma went to the dressmaker's house for a
fitting, and the woman asked her to tell Elfreda to come for her fitting
on Thursday instead of Friday night. Emma forgot it before she was a
block from the dressmaker's, and poor Elfreda dutifully trudged off to
her fitting instead of accepting an invitation to a theatre party that
the girls got up on Friday afternoon. The dressmaker wasn't in and
Elfreda went home angry. Emma delivered the message the next day."

"No wonder you didn't receive mine then," laughed Arline.

"How did you happen to find me?" asked Grace.

"Oh, I wasn't looking for you," replied Arline. "I thought as long as I
felt better, I had better call on Miss Wilder, too. But," said Arline, a
puzzled look creeping into her eyes, "if you didn't receive my message,
how did you happen to be in the dean's office?"

"I received a summons," answered Grace quietly. "The dean wished to see
me about--well--" Grace hesitated. "I should like to tell you about it,"
she went on. "Miss Wilder did not ask me to keep the matter a secret.
That was understood, I suppose. But, Arline, I think it would be better
to ask her permission before telling even you."

"Is it anything about me or about the club?" asked Arline curiously.

"It is something about the club," replied Grace enigmatically.

"Then suppose we go back and ask her now," proposed Arline.

"No," negatived Grace wisely, "it wouldn't do. Wait a little. I shall
see her again in a day or two. Then I may have a chance to ask her."

"All right," sighed Arline disappointedly. "Now that we have permission
we must go to work with a will. The 'Circus' must meet and plan the
costumes. Each girl will have to furnish her own. Ruth said she thought
she could design them all, and cut them out if the girls could do their
own sewing."

"Ruth is doing too much," demurred Grace. "Remember she is going to help
dress dolls for the doll shop."

"I know it," responded Arline, "but, thanks t