gray, there passed between the two young people a vivid
flash of liking and comradeship that was later to develop into a stanch
and beautiful friendship.

"I am so glad to know you," said Marjorie, earnestly. "I am very fond of
your sister."

"I am sure we shall be friends," declared Hal Macy. Involuntarily he put
out his hand. Marjorie's hand met it, and thus began the friendship
between Marjorie Dean and Hal Macy.

CHAPTER XII

ON THE FIRING LINE

Introductions followed thick and fast. More than one pair of boyish eyes
had been centered approvingly on the girls that "Macy" was "rushing,"
and he was soon besieged with gentle reminders not to be stingy, but to
give someone else a chance.

When the enlivening strains of a popular dance began, Hal Macy pointed
significantly to his name on Marjorie's card. She nodded happily then
glanced quickly about to see if Constance had a partner. Surely enough,
she was just about to dance off with a rather tall, slender lad, whose
dark, sensitive face, heavy-browed, black-lashed eyes of intense blue
and straight-lipped, sensitive mouth caused her to say impulsively, "Oh,
who is that nice-looking boy dancing with Constance?"

Hal glanced after the two graceful, gliding figures. "That's Lawrence
Armitage. He's one of the best fellows in school and my chum. You ought
to hear him play on the violin. He's going to Europe to study when he
finishes high school."

"How interesting," commented Marjorie as they joined the dancers. Then,
as Mignon La Salle, wearing an elaborate apricot satin frock, flashed by
them on the arm of a rather stout boy, with a disagreeable face,
Marjorie suddenly remembered the existence of Mignon, Muriel and Susan.
Her eyes began an eager search for the Picture Girl. Muriel was sure to
look pretty in evening dress. Mignon's frock made her look older, she
decided. She soon spied Muriel, whose gown of white lace was vastly
becoming. So was Susan Atwell's dress of old rose and silver. She
wondered a trifle wickedly if they had not been surprised to see
Constance blossom out in such brave attire. Then she put the thought
aside as unworthy and determined to remember only the good time she was
having.

After each dance the four friends managed to meet and compare notes
before they were off again with their next partners, and as the party
progressed it became noticeable that there were no wallflowers in that
particular group.

"What do you think of t