e
recreation room on the third floor. To this spot the candidates were
led blindfolded. Within the room the shuffling of feet could be heard,
then a weird voice said in a muffled tone:

"Hear ye! Honored Nicks! Let their scales fall!"

At the word the bandages were dropped from the eyes of Dorothy and
Tavia.

A glimpse around the half-lighted room showed a company of masked faces
and shrouded forms--sheets and white paper arrangements. On the window
seat sat the Most High Nick--the promoter. At her feet was crouched
the Chief Ranger.

"Number one!" called the Ranger, and Dorothy was pressed forward.

"Chase that thimble across the room with your nose," demanded the
Ranger, placing a silver thimble at Dorothy's feet.

Of course Dorothy laughed--all candidates do--at first.

"Wipe your smile off," ordered the Promoter, and at this Dorothy was
obliged to "wipe the smile" on the rather uncertain rug, by brushing
her mouth into the very depths of the carpet.

"Proceed!" commanded the Ranger, and Dorothy began the thimble chase.

It is all very well for the "uppers" to laugh at the Babes, but it was
no easy matter to get a thimble across a room by nose effort. Yet
Dorothy was "game," her nominating committee declared in the course of
time, and, between many pauses, chief of which was caused by the
irrepressible smiles that had to be wiped off on all parts of the floor
for every offense, Dorothy did get the thimble over to the corner.

"Number two," called the Ranger, and Tavia took the floor.

"The clock," indicated the Promoter, whereupon Tavia was confined in a
small closet and made to do the "Cuckoo stunt." Each hour called was
responded to by the corresponding "cuckoos," and the effect was
ludicrous indeed. Every break in the call meant another trial, but
finally Tavia got through the ordeal.

Next Dorothy was called upon to make a speech--the subject assigned
being "The Glory of the Nicks." An impromptu speech might be difficult
to make under such circumstances had the subject been a word of four
letters, like Snow, Love or even Hate, but to extemporize on the
society which was giving her the third degree--Dorothy almost
"flunked," it must be admitted.

The final test was that of singing a lesson in mathematics to the tune
of America, and the try that Tavia had at that broke every paper mask
in the room--no, not every one, for over in the corner was a mask that
never stirred, one that left the r