a partner for a class party?"

"Oh!" said I.

"We're the Blanks," said Miss Hicks, "and we feel that we haven't been
getting our full share of college atmosphere. So we're going into
politics. In this way we can mingle with the students and help run
things and have a very enjoyable time. It's most fascinating. All of us
are dippy over it."

"Oh," said I again. "You mean you're going to ruin things for your own
selfish interests?"

"My dear boy," said Miss Hicks--my, but that grated--"we're not going to
ruin anything. And we may build up the Oratorical Association."

That was too much. I got up and stood as nearly ten feet as I could.
"Very well," said I. "If there's no use of arguing on a reasonable basis
we may as well terminate this interview. But I'll just tell you there's
no use of your going any further. Now we know what we have to fight,
we'll take precious good care that you do not do any more mischief."

"Oh, very well," said Miss Hicks--she was infuriatingly
good-natured--"but I might as well tell you that we're going to get the
Athletic offices, the prom committee, the Oratorical offices and the
Athletic election next spring."

"Ha, ha!" said I loudly and rudely. Then I took my hat and went away.
Miss Hicks asked me very eagerly to drop in again. Me? I'd as soon have
dropped on a Mexican cactus. It couldn't be any more uncomfortable.

I went away and called our gang together and we seethed over the
situation most all night. They voted me campaign leader on the strength
of my service, and the next day we got the rest of the frats together,
buried the hatchet and doped out the campaign. It was the pride and
strength of Siwash against a red-headed Missouri girl, weight about
ninety-five pounds; and we couldn't help feeling sorry for her. But she
had brought it on herself. Insurgency, Miss Allstairs, is a very wicked
thing. It's a despicable attempt on the part of the minority to become
the majority, and no true patriot will desert the majority in his time
of need.

I'm not going to linger over the next month. I'll get it over in a few
words. We started out to exterminate Miss Hicks. We put up our candidate
for the Oratorical Association presidency. The hall was jammed when the
time came, and before anything could be done Miss Hicks demanded that no
one be allowed to vote who hadn't paid his or her dues. Half the fellows
we had there never had any intention of getting that far into Oratorical
work, and