is is
to be a strictly informal session of the club, we may wish to discuss
certain club business. The evening is before us. We ought to make good
use of it."

"And so we shall," returned Emma Dean, as they rose to go. "The affairs
of the nation shall be discussed and adjusted to-night."

"And the world will be upside down forever after," predicted Elfreda.

"Don't croak," reproved Emma. "Who knows what this night may bring
forth? It may engender indigestion, or a stern injunction to make less
noise on the part of Mrs. Elwood, but whatever the future has in store
for us, we shall have had at least one luncheon worth remembering."

CHAPTER II

THE LAST FRESHMAN

It was ten minutes past seven when the club settled down to the frozen
custard and delicious cakes that Grace and Anne had provided for them.
Then Elfreda, who had taken upon herself the making and serving of the
coffee, returned after a brief absence with a percolator of steaming
coffee, Miriam following with the sugar and cream.

"Isn't it too bad we never thought of doing this before?" said Marian
Cummings.

"Something had to be left for our senior year," said Anne Pierson.

"Do you know, I am anything but joyful at being a senior," announced
Elfreda Briggs. "Of course, it is a satisfaction to know that one has
weathered the last three years' examinations and is practically on Easy
Street as far as studies go, but every now and then comes the awful
feeling, 'only a little while and it will all be over'--college, I
mean."

"'Yet a few days, and thee the all-beholding sun shall see no
more.'"

quoted Emma Dean lugubriously.

"Not quite so bad as that," returned Elfreda with an appreciative grin.

"Even we juniors feel more or less that way," said Laura Atkins. "I
never had any real fun until I came to Overton. The time has gone so
fast I can't believe that it is two years since I locked Grace and Anne
out of their room and behaved like a savage. I don't wonder Elfreda
named me the Anarchist. I did my best to live up to the name."

"Oh, forget about that," murmured Elfreda, looking embarrassed.

The members of the club were wholly familiar with the history of Laura
Atkins's freshman year and admired her for the matter-of-fact way in
which she was wont to discuss her early short-comings. Under the sunny
influence of the four girls who had helped her to find herself, she had
developed into a gracious and likeable young woman. Sh