I
brushed the preliminaries aside and jumped right into the middle of
things. "Miss Hicks," says I, "why are you doing all this?"

"Singular or plural you?" she asked. "And why am I or are we doing what,
and why shouldn't we?"

"Help," said I, feeling that way. "Do you deny that you haven't been
instrumental in upsetting the whole college with those fool elections?"

"I am a modest young lady," said she, "so, of course, I deny it.
Besides, this college isn't upset at all. I went over this morning and
every professor was right side up with care where he belonged. And,
moreover, you must not call an election a fool because it doesn't do
what you want it to. It can't help itself."

"Miss Hicks," says I, feeling like a fly in an acre of web, "I am a
plain and simple man and not handy with my tongue. What I mean is this,
and I hope you'll excuse me for living--do you admit that you had a hand
in those class elections?"

Miss Hicks looked at me in the friendliest way possible. "It is more
modest to admit it than to declare it, isn't it?" she asked.

"Certainly," says I; "and this leads right back to question Number
One--Why did you do it?"

"And this leads back to answer Number One--Why shouldn't I?" she asked
again.

"Why, don't you see, Miss Hicks," says I, "that you've elected a lot of
girls that never have been active in college work, and that don't
represent the student body, and--"

"Don't go to the proms?" she suggested.

"I didn't say it and I'd die before I did," said I virtuously. "But
what's your object?"

"Education," said Miss Hicks mildly. "I'm paying full tuition and I want
to get all there is out of college. I think politics is a fascinating
study. I didn't get a chance to do much at it last year, but I'm
learning something about it every day now."

"But what's the good of it all?" I protested. "You'll just get the
college affairs hopelessly mixed up--"

"Like the Oratorical Association was last year?" she inquired gently.

"Oh, pshaw!" said I, getting entirely red. "Let's not get personal. What
can we do to satisfy you?"

"You've been satisfying us beautifully so far," said Miss Hicks.

"Who's us?" I asked.

"I don't in the least mind telling you," said Miss Hicks. "It's the
Blanks."

"The Blanks!" I repeated fretfully. "Never heard of 'em."

"I know it," said Miss Hicks, "but you named them yourselves. What do
you say you've drawn when you draw a homely girl's name out of the hat
as