.
Only words are somehow different, too. They sort of _taste_ when you
say them--sometimes sweet and sometimes tingly and queer, like the
Amorites and Hittites," and she giggled at the memory.

Patricia shook her head.

"Don't go tasting too many new ones around here," she cautioned with a
kiss. "You might hit on the wrong one, and they wouldn't understand
that it was merely a game with you."

"Well, I just guess it isn't any game," retorted Judith with a toss of
her mane. "It's the most important thing in life to me," and she
stalked off towards the door with great dignity.

Patricia groaned as she watched her walk primly down the corridor and
out of the side entrance. "That infant," she said to Elinor who had
been leaving Judith out, "is trembling on the brink of becoming a
little prig. We've got to see to it, Norn, that she doesn't get too
satisfied with herself."

"I don't believe she'll get spoiled," returned Elinor, easily. "She
_is_ clever, you know, and I think it's rather nice that she can enjoy
it a bit. She isn't pretty, and it makes up to her for that."

"All the same," said Patricia, darkly, "she needs to drop a peg in her
own esteem. Conceit is mighty crippling to the runner in the race that
Ju's picked out for herself. I'd hate her to be a fizzle, and I'm
going to see to it that she gets rid of it."

"Very well; only don't be too hard on her," said Elinor, easily. "Come
help me with the candy for the night life, won't you? I can't get it
in shape."

"Lots of time for it," said Patricia, yawning and flinging herself down
on the wide couch. "The men aren't through in there for more than an
hour yet."

"But I've got to get it tied inside the lantern while no one is about,"
insisted Elinor. "And the hall is absolutely deserted now. Come
along, do, and be useful."

Patricia, protesting, dragged herself from the restful nest, but by the
time they had begun to arrange the gay little bags of candy in the big
red Japanese lantern, she was as enthusiastic as Elinor could wish.

"Aren't the bags perfect ducks?" she laughed, handling the gauzy
bundles with dexterous fingers. "And those verses are too cute for
words. What a time we all had over them! Ju's are the best, though
she mustn't know it; funny without being personal. It was terribly
hard to get such a mob, too. How many are there altogether, Norn?"

"Seventeen," replied Elinor, counting. "I hope it will work all right
when